Another 35 people have died with coronavirus in Wales in the past 24 hours as the recent decline in the infection rate across the country starts to slow.
Latest figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) published on Thursday, February 4, show 544 new cases of the virus have been recorded to bring the total since the pandemic began to 194,525.
The number of people who have now died with the virus in Wales has now reached 4,867.
Following the latest figures the Wales infection rate is 126.5 per 100,000 population for the seven days up to January 30, a slight decrease from 127.1 on Wednesday. The infection rate is now around the same level it was in early October.
PHW data shows 490,570 people have now received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine as of 10pm on Wednesday, up 28,073 on the figure published 24 hours earlier. That’s 15.56% of the population. Some 1,216 people have now received both of their vaccine jabs.
Uptake of the first dose by priority group (according to PHW)
- 80 years and older: 148,727 received first dose (81.3%)
- Aged 75-79 years: 77,268 (57.3%)
- Aged 70-74 years: 49,800 (26.9%)
- Care home residents: 12,991 received first dose (76.7%)
- Care home workers: 32,049 received first dose (80.9%)
- Healthcare workers: 111,765 received first dose (percentage not given)
Key details
Deaths reported today: 35
Cases reported today: 544
Number of tests carried out: 11,543 (Up from 6,667)
Total deaths with lab-confirmed coronavirus in Wales: 4,867
Total number of people who have received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine: 490,570
Total number of people who have received a two-dose course of Covid-19 vaccine: 1,216
Wrexham remains the local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales with a seven-day rate of 311.1 cases per 100,000 population, which is down from 325.8 on Wednesday.
Flintshire has the second-highest rate with 228.1 cases per 100,000, down from 232.5 the day before.
Wrexham reported the most new cases in the latest 24-hour period with 63. Flintshire was next with 54, followed by Cardiff with 45, Rhondda Cynon Taf with 36, Carmarthenshire with 32, Swansea with 31 and Conwy with 29.
Powys had 24 new cases, Caerphilly had 22, Anglesey and Newport had 19 each, Denbighshire had 18 and Neath Port Talbot and the Vale of Glamorgan both had 16.
Bridgend was next with 14 new cases, Gwynedd and Torfaen both had 12 and Monmouthshire had 11.
Four locations recorded single-digit rises in new cases in the latest daily figures with Pembrokeshire having nine, Blaenau Gwent had seven, Merthyr Tydfil had six and Ceredigion had five.
Across Wales, the positivity rate of tests is now 9%for the past seven-day period. The highest rate is in Wrexham, where 17.1% of tests have come back positive in the last week.
Cases per 100,000 based on seven-day rolling average (January 24 to January 30)
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Newport: 138.4 (Down from 140.3)
Torfaen: 140.5 (Down from 146.9)
Caerphilly: 133.6 (Up from 129.8)
Monmouthshire: 74 (Down from 79.3)
Blaenau Gwent: 115.9 (Down from 120.2)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Wrexham: 311.1 (Down from 325.8)
Flintshire: 228.1 (Down from 232.5)
Denbighshire: 98.2 (Down from 105.5)
Gwynedd: 75.5 (Down from 77.1)
Conwy: 103.2 (Up from 97.3)
Anglesey: 141.3 (Up from 139.9)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Vale of Glamorgan: 119 (Up from 115.3)
Cardiff: 122.4 (Up from 118.6)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Bridgend: 110.8 (Up from 108.1)
Merthyr Tydfil: 86.2 (Up from 72.9)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 110.3 (Up from 109.4)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 147.3 (Up from 142.5)
Ceredigion: 44.0 (Up from 34.4)
Pembrokeshire: 90.6 (Down from 93.0)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 92.9 (Down from 98.9)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 100.5 (Down from 104.0)
Swansea: 88.3 (Down from 92.3)
Wales total – 126.5 (Down from127.1)
On Wednesday, Dr Robin Howe, incident director for the Covid-19 outbreak response at PHW confirmed 13 cases of the South African variant of coronavirus had been found in Wales. Ten of these had a travel link to Southern Africa or international travel.
Dr Howe said: “Although the data currently shows that on an all-Wales level the numbers of cases are reducing and that the incidence is now below 150 cases per 100,000 population, the rates in some areas – particularly in North Wales – are still at more than double that.
“The pressure on our hospitals is still severe and shows no signs of easing yet, so it is extremely important that everyone sticks to the rules and stays at home as much as possible.
“The announcement by Welsh Government last week that Foundation Phase pupils will be able to return to face to face learning in schools after half term is dependent on the numbers of cases continuing to reduce.
“The vaccination programme, run by Welsh Government and the local health boards, is continuing at pace, with more than 400,000 people in the first four priority groups having now received their first vaccination.
“The UK variant of coronavirus prevalent in many parts of Wales is up to 70 per cent more transmissible, and as reported recently there is evidence which suggests that it may lead to a higher risk of death than the non-variant.
“This is a crucial time. We must ensure that we stick to the rules over the next few weeks so that the number of cases continues to reduce and that hospitals can start to recover, while the vaccination programme is underway to protect the most vulnerable in our communities.”
-- to www.walesonline.co.uk
