Four more deaths as over 300 new cases confirmed

FOUR more people have died with coronavirus in Wales and more than 300 new positive cases have been identified.

Figures from Public Health Wales published on Tuesday reveal that 317 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the latest 24-hour period.

This brings the total since the start of the pandemic to 202,324.

The number of people who have died with coronavirus in Wales within a month of a positive test now stands at 5,250.

The infection rate across Wales has dropped to 79 per 100,000 population based on the seven days up to February 18.

Infection rates have reduced to levels not seen since September.

The latest data also shows that 869,653 people have now received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, up 7,405 from the figure of 862,248 published 24 hours earlier.

Meanwhile, 49,729 people have now received both doses of the vaccine, a rise from 42,752 on Monday.

Uptake of the first dose by priority group (according to PHW): ■ 80 years and older: 165,713 (90.7%) ■ Aged 75-79 years: 124,733 (92.7%) ■ Aged 70-74 years: 169,897 (92.1%) ■ Care home residents: 14,822 (84.9%) ■ Care home workers: 36,481 (85.9%) ■ Healthcare workers: 123,225 (percentage not given) ■ Extremely clinically vulnerable: 65,829 (84.7%)

Anglesey is now the local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales with a seven-day rate of 114.2 cases per 100,000 population, up from 112.8 on the day before.

Flintshire is second with 107.6 cases per 100,000 population, down from 109.5 reported previously.

Cardiff is third highest rate with 106 cases per 100,000, which is up from 103.8 on Monday.

In terms of new cases reported in the last 24 hours, Cardiff has the most with 44, followed by Swansea with 24, Flintshire with 22, Carmarthenshire with 21 and Gwynedd with 20.

All other local authorities had less than 20 new cases including Conwy with 17, RCT with 16, Powys with 15, Newport with 14, Caerphilly, Torfaen, Anglesey and Denbighshire all with 13, Merthyr Tydfil with 12 and Wrexham, Vale of Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire with 11.

All others had single figures for new cases including Neath Port Talbot with seven, Blaenau Gwent with five, Monmouthshire, Bridgend and Ceredigion with three apiece.

Cases per 100,000 based on seven-day rolling average (February 12 to February 18): ■ Anglesey: 114.2 (up from 112.8) ■ Flintshire: 107.6 (down from 109.5) ■ Cardiff: 106.0 (up from 103.8) ■ Powys: 98.9 (up from 95.9) ■ Newport: 95.7 (up from 92.5) ■ Gwynedd: 95.5 (up from 94.7) ■ Caerphilly: 92.8 (up from 84.5) ■ Conwy: 92.1 (up from 90.4) ■ Wrexham: 78.7 (down from 81.6) ■ Denbighshire: 77.3 (up from 72.1) ■ Vale of Glamorgan: 74.1 (down from 82.3) ■ Carmarthenshire: 73.1 (up from 72.6) ■ Neath Port Talbot: 65.6 (down from 80.2) ■ Monmouthshire: 61.3 (down from 64.5) ■ Merthyr Tydfil: 61.3 (down from 66.3) ■ Torfaen: 59.6 (down from 64.9) ■ Swansea: 56.7 (down from 60.7) ■ Pembrokeshire: 55.6 (unchanged) ■ Rhondda Cynon Taf: 55.1 (down from 58.9) ■ Blaenau Gwent: 54.4 (down from 60.1) ■ Bridgend: 51.0 (down from 56.4) ■ Ceredigion: 31.6 (down from 33) ■ All-Wales average: 78.9 (down from 80)