English: We're approaching what is likely to be a very challenging winter period for the people in Wales as we face a cost-of-living and energy crisis and, of course, ongoing pressures within our health and care systems. Our planning for winter for the health and care system has been developed over the past few months within our existing planning arrangements. Our planned care plan, developed in conjunction with clinicians, contains a number of challenging but achievable ambitions, and is supported by £170 million of recurrent funding. Health boards' and partners' plans to support resilient, urgent and emergency care services this winter will build on local six goals for urgent and emergency care programme plans. Priorities will focus on increasing emergency ambulance capacity, opening new urgent primary care centres, introducing seven-day same-day emergency care services, and increasing available community capacity to support timely patient discharge. I will shortly provide a further written statement on these plans. We're also preparing for a third winter of living with COVID. However, the situation regarding respiratory viruses is more uncertain than in previous years, as seasonal patterns have been significantly disrupted due to the pandemic. We could experience spikes in both COVID-19 and flu, and we must ensure that our communities and health social care systems are as prepared as they can be, particularly in the context of the current cost-of-living crisis. Today, I will update Members on the current situation regarding COVID-19 and the approach we are taking to prepare for a potential spike in respiratory illnesses in the coming months. After an increase in COVID-19 cases over the summer, driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron wave, community prevalence, thankfully, has continued to decrease, which has meant that pressure on our healthcare system associated with COVID-19 has also decreased, although other pressures remain. According to the latest Office for National Statistics coronavirus infection survey, the proportion of people in Wales testing positive for COVID-19 has once again decreased to one in 110 people, from one in 95 the previous week. This decreasing prevalence, combined with the protection provided by other interventions such as vaccination, has allowed us to reduce testing, including a pause on regular asymptomatic testing from 8 September. In line with our long-term COVID-19 transition plan and our objective to protect the most vulnerable, we'll continue to provide symptomatic testing for patients, those eligible for COVID-19 treatments, health and care staff, care home residents and prisoners. And, we'll continue to test patients on discharge from hospitals to care homes. While we are currently in a stable position, we know that seasonal flu and COVID-19 viruses have the potential to add substantially to the winter pressures faced by the NHS, particularly if infection waves from both viruses coincide. Therefore, we are adopting a joined-up approach across Welsh Government and Public Health Wales in our approach to respiratory viruses that will provide guidance to support health and social care colleagues and to our communities on preparedness and actions that can be taken. Vaccination continues to offer the best protection from COVID-19 and flu, and our winter respiratory vaccination programme, launched on 1 September, integrates the COVID-19 and flu vaccination programmes this year to maximise uptake of both vaccines. ONS antibody data indicates that the 2022 spring booster has successfully maintained high antibody levels in vulnerable, older populations. So, we go on encouraging all those who are eligible to come forward for their vaccinations to do so. Invitations for a COVID-19 vaccine will be issued to all eligible individuals by the end of November, and the flu vaccine will be offered by the end of December. A national winter respiratory vaccination communications campaign will be launched next week.
Welsh: Rydym yn agosáu at yr hyn sy'n debygol o fod yn gyfnod gaeaf heriol iawn i bobl Cymru wrth i ni wynebu argyfwng costau byw ac ynni ac, wrth gwrs, pwysau parhaus o fewn ein systemau iechyd a gofal. Mae ein gwaith cynllunio ar gyfer y gaeaf ar gyfer y system iechyd a gofal wedi cael ei ddatblygu dros y misoedd diwethaf o fewn ein trefniadau cynllunio presennol. Mae ein cynllun gofal arfaethedig, a ddatblygwyd ar y cyd â chlinigwyr, yn cynnwys nifer o uchelgeisiau heriol ond cyraeddadwy, ac fe'i cefnogir gan £170 miliwn o gyllid rheolaidd. Bydd cynlluniau byrddau iechyd a phartneriaid i gefnogi gwasanaethau gofal cydnerth a brys dros y gaeaf yn adeiladu ar chwe nod lleol ar gyfer cynlluniau rhaglenni gofal brys ac argyfwng. Bydd y blaenoriaethau'n canolbwyntio ar gynyddu capasiti ambiwlansys brys, agor canolfannau gofal sylfaenol brys newydd, cyflwyno gwasanaethau gofal brys saith diwrnod, ar yr un diwrnod, a chynyddu'r capasiti cymunedol sydd ar gael i gefnogi rhyddhau cleifion yn brydlon. Byddaf yn darparu datganiad ysgrifenedig pellach ar y cynlluniau hyn cyn bo hir. Rydym hefyd yn paratoi am drydydd gaeaf o fyw gyda COVID. Fodd bynnag, mae'r sefyllfa o ran firysau anadlol yn fwy ansicr nag mewn blynyddoedd blaenorol, gan fod patrymau tymhorol wedi'u hamharu'n sylweddol oherwydd y pandemig. Gallem gael llawer o achosion o COVID-19 a'r ffliw, a rhaid i ni sicrhau bod ein systemau gofal cymunedol, iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol mor barod ag y gallant fod, yn enwedig yng nghyd-destun yr argyfwng costau byw presennol. Heddiw, byddaf yn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau ar y sefyllfa bresennol ynglŷn â COVID-19 a'n dull o baratoi ar gyfer cynnydd posibl mewn afiechydon anadlol dros y misoedd nesaf. Ar ôl cynnydd mewn achosion o COVID-19 dros yr haf, wedi'i ysgogi gan y don omicron BA.4 a BA.5, mae nifer yr achosion yn y gymuned, diolch byth, wedi parhau i leihau, sydd wedi golygu bod y pwysau ar ein system gofal iechyd sy'n gysylltiedig â COVID-19 hefyd wedi gostwng, er bod pwysau eraill yn parhau. Yn ôl arolwg haint coronafeirws diweddaraf y Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol, mae cyfran y bobl yng Nghymru sy'n profi'n bositif ar gyfer COVID-19 wedi gostwng unwaith eto i un ymhob 110 o bobl, o un ymhob 95 yr wythnos flaenorol. Mae'r ffaith bod nifer yr achosion yn lleihau, ynghyd â'r amddiffyniad a ddarperir gan ymyriadau eraill fel brechu, wedi caniatáu inni leihau profion, gan gynnwys saib ar brofion heb symptomau rheolaidd o 8 Medi. Yn unol â'n cynllun pontio COVID-19 hirdymor a'n hamcan i amddiffyn y bobl fwyaf agored i niwed, byddwn yn parhau i ddarparu profion i gleifion â symptomau, y rhai hynny sy'n gymwys i gael triniaethau COVID-19, staff iechyd a gofal, preswylwyr cartrefi gofal a charcharorion. Ac fe fyddwn ni'n parhau i brofi cleifion wrth ryddhau cleifion o ysbytai i gartrefi gofal. Er ein bod mewn sefyllfa sefydlog ar hyn o bryd, rydym ni'n gwybod bod gan firysau tymhorol a COVID-19 y potensial i ychwanegu'n sylweddol at bwysau'r gaeaf sydd yn wynebu'r GIG, yn enwedig os yw tonnau heintiau'r ddau firws yn cyd-daro. Felly, rydym yn mabwysiadu dull cydgysylltiedig ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru ac Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru yn ein dull o ddefnyddio firysau anadlol a fydd yn rhoi arweiniad i gefnogi cydweithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ac i'n cymunedau ar barodrwydd a chamau y gellir eu cymryd. Mae brechu'n parhau i gynnig yr amddiffyniad gorau rhag COVID-19 a'r ffliw, ac mae ein rhaglen frechu anadlol dros y gaeaf, a lansiwyd ar 1 Medi, yn cyfuno'r rhaglenni brechu COVID-19 a'r ffliw eleni i sicrhau'r nifer fwyaf o bobl sy'n manteisio ar y ddau frechlyn. Mae data gwrthgyrff ONS yn dangos bod pigiad atgyfnerthu gwanwyn 2022 wedi llwyddo i gynnal lefelau gwrthgyrff uchel mewn poblogaethau agored i niwed, hŷn. Felly, rydym ni'n mynd ymlaen i annog pawb sy'n gymwys i ddod am eu brechiadau i wneud hynny. Bydd gwahoddiadau ar gyfer brechlyn COVID-19 yn cael ei roi i bob unigolyn cymwys erbyn diwedd mis Tachwedd, a bydd y brechlyn ffliw yn cael ei gynnig erbyn diwedd Rhagfyr. Bydd ymgyrch gyfathrebu genedlaethol ar frechu anadlol dros y gaeaf yn cael ei lansio'r wythnos nesaf.