Pembrokeshire council’s stock of personal protective equipment – PPE – is a enough for a “few days” between deliveries with any problems with the supply chain a concern.

Keeping Covid-19 out of the county’s care homes was highlighted by chief executive Ian Westley in his Friday video message on YouTube (April 24).

Head of public protection and civil contingencies Richard Brown told the local democracy reporting service that the PPE the local authority received was shared supply through health stocks.

It was being reserved for social care providers, including private sector companies, in the main but it had been “flagged up as a real concern. Not because we are running out but because the amount of stock we are holding is only a matter of a few days.

“If anything happens to the supply chain that would be a problem. It’s no different to anywhere else, PPE is a precious resource to be utilised and distributed carefully.”

Testing arrangements were in place for key workers, added head of infrastructure Darren Thomas, with discussions on the plan to incorporate population sampling of a “wider cohort of people and workers” underway.

Mr Westley said that local authorities across Wales were putting a focus on the discharge of patients from hospital to care homes.

“Critically important in keeping our care homes free of Covid-19.

“In Pembrokeshire at the moment we are maintaining out supplies, so whilst this is critical because our supplies are on the basis of just in time, but at the moment we are maintaining our supplies so everybody that needs access to PPE does appear to be getting it.”