WALES is in a healthy situation when it comes to PPE according to health minister Vaughan Gething.

However, he stressed that this is reliant on interactions with other countries both within the UK and further afield.

“200,000 fluid resistant gowns to arrive on a flight from Cambodia today,” he said. “This is the product of a lot of hard work to secure international supplies of PPE.

“A further flight from China is expected later this week.”

After joking those asking questions via video link during the briefing should ‘mind their language’, Mr Gething - who was caught on video last week using an expletive - was asked what the demand was for gowns in Wales currently.

“It varies,” he said. “We think it’s anywhere between 40-50,000 a week.

“This delivery from Cambodia potentially provides us with a four-week supply.

“We will be offering mutual aid to other UK countries.

“This is about the four nations working together.”

Mr Gething said that when the pandemic hit, there were enough items of PPE currently in the country’s pandemic stockpile to cope with immediate demand.

However, he said that the challenge was then getting that stock across the whole of the country.

“We also need to restock that pandemic stock,” he said.

“This is why the flights from Cambodia and China are so important.”

Closer to home, Mr Gething spoke of the cooperation between the four governments of the UK, saying that to date Wales had received masks from Scotland and gowns from England.

“I’m pleased to see the four governments working very cooperatively,” he said

“I hope this is a point of confidence for the watching public.”

Mr Gething also spoke of plans to open a drive-through testing centre in Camarthen this week.

Booking slots will be prioritised for health and social care staff,” he said.