An intensive care consultant has pleaded with the public to abide by coronavirus lockdown rules, warning: `If you think it`s not going to affect you and you can just go out and do what you want then you are wrong.` Dr Ami Jones, who works at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, said it is `very, very busy`, with the unit full of younger people ill with the virus – not just over 70s. The doctor told ITV News they had already `surged beyond our standard capacity`, adding: `It`s not just the vulnerable and elderly that are getting poorly – my unit is full of 20-, 30- and 40-year-olds.` She works for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which has almost half the total number of Covid-19 patients in Wales.
Dr Jones said the hospital is `very prepared` and has `surge plans` in place to cope with any potential influx of sick patients. She said: `We are looking to exceed six times our normal critical care capacity, but it`s not just a case of giving us ventilators – we need more staff and we need other equipment.` For all the latest news and updates on Coronavirus, click here. For our Coronavirus live blog click here. Dr Jones urged the public to stay at home and only leave for essential journeys, adding: `We are prepared to surge if we need to but we hope we don`t. We hope lockdown and social distancing will flatten the curve, but people do need to lock down. `Popping to the shops for a paper is not essential – everybody is at risk. `I`ve got ITU patients on my ward who were previously fit and well so if you think it`s not going to affect you and you can just go out and do what you want then you are wrong.