Newport records 11 new Covid cases as 12 more people die in Wales

[ad_1]

Newport has recorded 11 new cases of coronavirus and 12 more people have died with the virus across Wales, the latest figures from Public Health Wales show.

However, the figures published by PHW on Friday, March 5 show that the infection rate has dropped across the country once again.

The current infection rate in Newport stands at 56.9 cases per 100,000 people. This is a decrease on the 63.4 previously reported.

The figures show that across Wales 230 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the latest 24-hour period, a drop from 267 reported on Thursday. This brings the total since the start of the pandemic to 204,692.

The number of people who have died with coronavirus in Wales within a month of a positive test now stands at 5,378.

The infection rate across Wales is now 50.7 cases per 100,000 of population based on the seven days up to February 28, a drop on a figure of 53.1 reported on Thursday. This is the lowest rate seen across Wales since mid-September.

The latest data also shows that 967,042 people have now received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, up 15,502 from the figure of 951,540 published 24 hours earlier. Health minister Vaughan Gething has announced that all adults in Wales will be offered a Covid-19 vaccine by July 31. The vaccine rollout programme in Wales is due to speed up rapidly from next week due to increased supplies.

In total 154,819 people have now received both doses of the vaccine, a rise from 139,445 on Thursday.

Uptake of the first dose by priority group (according to PHW):

Care home residents: 14,600 (95.1%) Care home workers: 33,541 (84.5%) Healthcare workers: 128,542 (87.1%) Social care workers: 38,607 80 years and older: 165,991 (94.1%) 75-79 years: 126,092 (94.4%) 70-74 years: 172,215 (93.7%) Clinically extremely vulnerable 16-69 years: 70,828 (87.3%) 65-69 years: 151,561 (84.1%) Clinical risk groups 16-64 years: 66,855 (24%) 60-64 years: 67,911 (33.1%) 55-59 years: 56,650 (24.3%) 50-54 years: 47,628 (21%)

Key details

Deaths reported today: 12 Cases reported today: 230 (Down from 267)
Number of tests carried out: 12,362 (Up from 11,728)
Total deaths with lab-confirmed coronavirus in Wales: 5,378 Total number of people who have received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine: 967,042 Total number of people who have received a two-dose course of Covid-19 vaccine: 154,819

Gwynedd remains the local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales with a seven-day rate of 89.1 per 100,000, down from 94.7 on Thursday.

Conwy is second with a seven-day rate of 83.6 cases per 100,000, down from 89.6.

Caerphilly is third with a seven-day rate of 76.8 per 100,000 population, up from 74.

In terms of new cases reported in the last 24 hours Cardiff is highest with 35 followed by Gwynedd with 18, Flintshire with 17, Anglesey with 15, Conwy and Wrexham with 14, and Caerphilly with 13.

Meanwhile Merthyr Tydfil had 12, Newport and Swansea had 11, RCT had 10, Carmarthenshire had nine, and Neath Port Talbot had eight.

Denbighshire and Vale of Glamorgan had seven, Bridgend and Powys had six, Pembrokeshire had three, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, and Monmouthshire all had two, and Ceredigion had one.

Across Wales the positivity rate of tests is 5.4% for the past seven-day period, down from 5.5%. This is below a key Welsh Government threshold for easing lockdown restrictions.

The highest rate is in Gwynedd where 9.4% of tests have come back positive in the last week.

Cases per 100,000 based on seven-day rolling average (February 22 to February 28):

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Torfaen: 58.5 (Down from 63.9)

Caerphilly: 76.8 (Down from 74)

Newport: 56.9 (Down from 63.4)

Monmouthshire: 43.3 (Unchanged)

Blaenau Gwent: 50.1 (Up from 38.6)

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Conwy: 83.6 (Down from 89.6)

Anglesey: 61.4 (Down from 65.7)

Gwynedd: 89.1 (Down from 94.7)

Denbighshire: 48.1 (Up from 46)

Flintshire: 59.6 (Unchanged)

Wrexham: 64.7 (Up from 63.3)

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Cardiff: 47.2 (Down from 49.1)

Vale of Glamorgan: 26.9 (Down from 35.2)

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Merthyr Tydfil: 53 (Down from 54.7)

Rhondda Cynon Taf: 31.9 (Up from 31.5)

Bridgend: 38.8 (Up from 38.1)

Hywel Dda University Health Board

Carmarthenshire: 42.9 (Down from 48.2)

Pembrokeshire: 19.9 (Down from 21.5)

Ceredigion: 19.3 (Down from 20.6)

Powys Teaching Health Board

Powys: 55.1 (Down from 60.4)

Swansea Bay University Health Board

Neath Port Talbot: 52.3 (Down from 56.5)

Swansea: 44.5 (Down from 48.2)

Wales total: 50.9 (Down from 53.1)

Find out how many cases are in your area:

Speaking in Friday’s press conference, Mr Gething said the Welsh Government will be looking at whether the current stay-at-home rule can be lifted as part of the latest lockdown review next week.

He added: “The latest figures show the overall number of people in hospital with coronavirus continues to fall and yesterday there were fewer than 450 people with confirmed coronavirus in hospital across Wales – the lowest number since October 17.

“As more people are vaccinated in Wales we may be seeing a faster-than-anticipated fall in the number of people admitted to hospital.

“We have also seen a reduction in the number of people with coronavirus in our critical care units. All this is really positive and suggests that we are over the worst of the second wave of the virus in Wales – thanks to everything you have done over the last couple of months.”

But he warned that some of the new mutated strains could cause the pandemic to “take a new turn”, causing more problems as they become a source for more infections and serious illness.

To date there have been 24 cases of the South African variant in Wales. Investigations have identified the majority of cases have links to international travel.

He added: “Investigations are continuing into a handful of cases. They include targeted testing of close contacts to identify the source of infection and prevent any further spread.”

Wales Matters delivers the best of WalesOnline’s coverage of politics, health, education, current affairs and local democracy straight to your inbox.

Now more than ever this sort of journalism matters and we want you to be able to access it all in one place with one click. It’s completely free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

To subscribe, click here, enter your email address and follow the simple instructions.

First Minister Mark Drakeford is currently self-isolating after being in contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus.

Mr Gething confirmed to the briefing that “a couple” of senior Welsh Government staff had tested positive for Covid-19.

“They are following the advice given by Test, Trace, Protect and to isolate and work from home, including the First Minister,” he said.

“I am here because I wasn’t in at that time. We have been trying to do the right thing but this does show that despite all the control measures it is possible for coronavirus to sneak through.

“It also shows why there is a cautious approach out of lockdown.”

You Might Also Like