12 more deaths and 2,664 new cases recorded

ANOTHER 12 people in Wales have died with coronavirus, it has been announced, as Wales’ infection rate falls for the second day in a row.

New figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) published yesterday, October 28, which cover the last 24-hour period, show the total number of Covid-related deaths in Wales is now 6,134.

There were also 2,664 new positive cases recorded in today’s update, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 432,395.

The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales based on the cases for every 100,000 people (for the seven days up to October 23) now stands at 671.3 – a fall from the 699.7 reported on Wednesday and a second consecutive day where rates have fallen.

The local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales is now Blaenau Gwent, with 1,026.3 cases per 100,000 population over seven days, followed by Torfaen with 973.8 and Caerphilly with 907.4.

The test positivity rate across Wales is at 22.9%, which has fallen in recent days but still means more than a fifth of all those getting tests are coming back positive. Nearly three in ten people in Neath Port Talbot are having their test come back positive (27.5%) – the highest of any local authority.

The areas of the country recording the highest numbers of Covid cases in the latest 24-hour period were Cardiff with 332, Caerphilly with 164, Rhondda Cynon Taf with 156, Vale of Glamorgan with 154, Neath Port Talbot with 153, Torfaen with 150, Swansea with 140, Pembrokeshire with 138, Flintshire with 134, Newport with 127, Gwynedd with 106 and Bridgend with 100.

Meanwhile, Wrexham had 96 new cases, Powys had 92, Carmarthenshire had 86, Blaenau Gwent had 81, Denbighshire had 67, and Monmouthshire had 63.

The local authorities with the lowest numbers of cases included Conwy and Ceredigion with 61 apiece, Merthyr Tydfil with 50 and Anglesey with 47.

Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to October 23:

■Blaenau Gwent: 1,026.3 (down from 1,156.6)

■Torfaen: 973.8 (down from 1,024.9)

■Caerphilly: 907.4 (down from 976.4)

■Pembrokeshire: 860 (up from 849.6)

■Newport: 841.8 (down from 889)

■Vale of Glamorgan: 839.2 (down from 874.3)

■Neath Port Talbot: 824.1 (down from 898)

■Cardiff: 732.3 (down from 767.2)

■Monmouthshire: 716.8 (down from 755.9)

■Merthyr Tydfil: 676.3 (down from 716.1)

■Rhondda Cynon Taf: 661.9 (down from 717.9)

■Ceredigion: 656.2 (up from 638.3)

■Swansea: 621.5 (up from 610.9)

■Carmarthenshire: 594.9 (down from 623)

■Bridgend: 586.2 (down from 606.6)

■Denbighshire: 574.7 (down from 599.8)

■Powys: 563.3 (down from 581.4)

■Gwynedd: 472.1 ( down from 473.7)

■Conwy: 418.9 (up from 414.7)

■Flintshire: 403.6 (up from 395.9)

■Wrexham: 372.9 (down from 378.1)

■Anglesey: 356.9 (down from 371.2)

■Wales total: 671.3 (down from 699.7)