Nine more deaths but infection rate falls for fourth day in a row

ANOTHER nine people in Wales have died with coronavirus as Wales’ infection rate falls for the fourth day in a row.

New figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) published yesterday, which covers until 9am on October 29, shows the total number of Covidrelated deaths in Wales is now 6,150.

There were also 3,016 new positive cases recorded in yesterday’s update, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 437,972.

The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales based on the cases for every 100,000 people (for the seven days up to October 25) now stands at 618.1, a fall from the 653.1 reported on Friday and a fourth consecutive day where rates have fallen.

The local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales is now Torfaen with 872 cases per 100,000 people over seven days, closely followed by Blaenau Gwent with 846 and Caerphilly with 842.

The test positivity rate across Wales is at 22.8%, which is slightly up from 22.7 last time.

The areas recording the highest numbers of Covid cases in the latest 24-hour period were Cardiff with 355, followed by Caerphilly (241), Swansea (238) and Carmarthenshire (209). Newport had 169, Neath Port Talbot was just behind with 167. Vale of Glamorgan had 158, RCT 156, Torfaen 149 and Bridgend 137.

As of October 28 there were 754 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), a rise on the 718 reported two days before.

Aneurin Bevan UHB had the most Covid patients in general and acute hospital beds on October 26 with 182 followed by Cardiff and Vale UHB with 139 and Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB with 132.

As of October 28 there were 70 people in invasive ventilated beds in Wales with coronavirus.