WIREDGOV

96 per cent of people in Wales have said they always wear a face covering in shops, the latest national engagement survey conducted by Public Health Wales has revealed.

The survey also shows that 64 per cent of people said they wear face coverings ‘most of the time’ when they go out. This is an increase of 33 per cent of people surveyed a fortnight ago.

62 per cent of people report that most or all of the people they know are following social distancing guidelines.

Professor Mark Bellis, Director of Policy and International Health at Public Health Wales, recently said:

“The results showing a rise in adherence to the Coronavirus safety measures, such as social distancing and the wearing of face coverings, is encouraging.

“Although we often hear examples in the media of people not following the guidance, the results of the survey shows that those people are the minority. The vast majority of people in Wales are following the safety measures which have been put in place for their own safety and the safety of society as a whole.

“This is great to see and I would like to say thank you on behalf of Public Health Wales to all those who are following social distancing guidelines and wearing a face covering.

“Despite these positive results however, it’s clear there is more work to do.

“Almost one third (32 per cent) of people thought that a sore throat was a reason to ask for a Coronavirus test. This is not the case.

“You should only be tested for Coronovirus if you have a new and persistent cough, a high temperature or loss of taste and smell.”

In other results, just over one in five (21 per cent) people have been worrying a lot about their mental health and wellbeing, with 55 per cent also worrying a lot about the wellbeing of their children.

Professor Karen Hughes who coordinates the survey for Public Health Wales recently said:

“We are living through a very difficult time at the moment so it’s to be expected that we would see a rise in concerns about mental health and wellbeing.

“There is a lot of support available online for people who are worried about their mental health and wellbeing during Coronavirus, and there are things that we can all do to take care of how we are feeling.

“Remembering to stay CALM is a big help. CALM stands for:

C – calming activities to make you feel better

A – attending to basic needs to help your body

L – learning to re-think to help your thoughts

M – making yourself feel good

“There are more resources to support mental health and wellbeing from the How Are You Doing campaign at www.phw.nhs.wales/howareyoudoing  If you have serious concerns for your mental health please do contact your GP.” 

The latest Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) public engagement survey report from Public Health Wales covers the period of 21 - 27 September, when 601 people were surveyed.

Every two weeks, Public Health Wales conducts interviews with hundreds of people aged 18 or over across Wales, to understand how Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the measures being used to prevent its spread are affecting the physical, mental and social wellbeing of people in Wales.

The survey is part of a raft of measures implemented by Public Health Wales to support public health and wellbeing through Coronavirus.

The full report is available on the Public Health Wales website.