Thirteen more people have died with coronavirus in Wales and more than 1,300 new positive cases have been identified.
Public Health Wales (PHW), in its daily update on Saturday, October 31, confirmed that 1,301 more people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 following a lab test.
It marks a drop from Friday, when 1,737 new cases were confirmed, becoming the highest daily total since the pandemic began in March.
However, it must be noted that far more tests are now being carried out every 24 hours when compared to the April peak.
PHW also added that 13 more people have lost their lives with the virus in Wales, bringing the death toll to 1,872.
Merthyr Tydfil remains by some way the local authority with the most cases per 100,000 over a seven-day average at 586.8, a drop from 608.4 on Friday.
Rhondda Cynon Taf had the second highest incidence rate with 515.2 cases per 100,000, up from 496.1 on Friday, while Blaenau Gwent was third with 460.9, a jump from 439.4 the previous day.
Wales as a whole now averages 251.0 cases per 100,000 people, an increase on 245.5 on Friday. The numbers look at a rolling seven-day average between October 22 and 28.
These are the key details on Saturday:
Deaths reported today: 13 (Up from 11 on Friday)
Cases reported today: 1,301 (Down from 1,737 on Friday)
Number of tests carried out: 11,899 (Down from 12,665 on Friday)
Total deaths with lab-confirmed coronavirus in Wales: 1,872
Rhondda Cynon Taf reported the most positive cases in the last 24 hours with 204, followed by Swansea with 146, Neath Port Talbot with 128 and Cardiff with 126.
Other local authorities reporting high numbers of cases included Caerphilly and Brigend with 76, Wrexham with 62, Carmarthenshire with 58, Flintshire with 55 and Blaenau Gwent with 56.
Meanwhile, Merthyr Tydfil had 34, Torfaen had 33, Newport had 27, Conwy had 25, Vale of Glamorgan had 23, Monmouthshire and Powys both had 21, Denbighshire had 17, Pembrokeshire had 15, Gwynedd had 14, Anglesey had 13 and Ceredigion had 2.
Cases per 100,000 for rolling seven days
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 460.9 (Up)
Caerphilly: 304.8 (Up)
Torfaen: 263.9 (Up)
Newport: 176.5 (Up)
Monmouthshire: 175.5 (Up)
Betsi Cadwaldr University Health Board
Wrexham: 263.3 (Down)
Flintshire: 179.4 (Up)
Anglesey: 117.1 (Up)
Conwy: 104.1 (Down)
Denbighshire: 83.6 (Up)
Gwynedd: 67.4 (Down)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 318.6 (Down)
Vale of Glamorgan: 117.5 (Up)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 586.8 (Down)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 515.2 (Up)
Bridgend: 278.1 (Up)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 151.5 (Up)
Ceredigion: 42.6 (Down)
Pembrokeshire: 42.1 (Up)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 106.5 (Up)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 372.6 (Up)
Swansea: 364.4 (Up)
Wales total – 251.0 (Up)
Use this tool to check case figures in your area:
Wales is now more than a week into its 17-day fire-break lockdown.
The rules require people to stay at home wherever possible, non-essential retail has been shut, and secondary schools will close for those in year nine and above after half term.
- People in Wales are being asked to stay at home until Monday, November 9
- All non-essential retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses will close as was the case during the March lockdown
- Community centres, libraries, and recycling centres will also all close and places of worship will be shut other than for funerals or wedding ceremonies
- Primary and special schools will re-open as normal after half term but secondary schools will only re-open to students in years seven and eight for the second week of the fire-break
- No gatherings will be permitted either indoors or outdoors with people from other households with the only exceptions being adults living alone and single parents who can join another household for support
Health minister Vaughan Gething has said a new national set of rules imposed after November 9 should be sufficient to see the country though to the new year.
Speaking to Times Radio this morning (October 31), he said: “We’ve been clear that we’re acting at this point, we’re acting to have a definitive fire-break. We’ll see the benefit of that come after the fire break ends.
“We’ve also been very clear with the new national set of rules we’ll have, we all need to do our bit and we as a government have a continuing responsibility to look at what’s happening and act on the basis of the evidence.”
He said they won’t hesitate to act further if the situation demands it, but the plan is to reach 2021 without further intervention.
“We want to get to the end of the year, but if we need to act further before the end of the year then, of course, we’ll be prepared to do so.”
Dr Chris Williams, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said:
“With Halloween taking place today, we understand that people will still want to celebrate so Public Health Wales has published guidance on joining in the Halloween spirit safely, while staying at home to protect those we care about.
“Under the current firebreak restrictions, physically gathering for Halloween parties in either your home or other venues is not allowed.
“Leaving your home for anything other than for an essential reason is also prohibited and so taking part in traditional trick or treat activities breaches current guidelines.
“We urge the public to stick to the new rules, which are vital to help us regain control of the virus, to protect the NHS, and save lives.
“Although national and local measures have made a difference, further action is needed. Cases continue to rise in Wales, hospital admissions are increasing, including those into critical care, and sadly so are the numbers of people dying from the virus.”
-- to www.walesonline.co.uk
