13 more deaths recorded and 1,986 further cases

THIRTEEN more people have died with coronavirus in Wales, according to latest figures from Public Health Wales.

New figures published yesterday, which covers the 24 hours up to 9am on November 4, shows the total number of Covid-related deaths in Wales now stands at 6,214.

There were also 1,986 new positive cases recorded in the latest update bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 452,440.

The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales based on the cases for every 100,000 people (for the seven days up to October 31) now stands at 548.4 – a slight drop from the 550.6 reported on Thursday.

The local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales is now Vale of Glamorgan with 774.8 cases per 100,000 population over seven days followed by Torfaen with 768.4 and Caerphilly with 725.1.

The test positivity rate across Wales is at 23.2%, which is slightly down on the 23.4% reported on Thursday. Nearly three in 10 people in Caerphilly are having their test come back positive (27.6%), which is 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 and Swansea both with 210, RCT with 118, Newport with 114, Carmarthenshire with 108, Caerphilly with 103 and Bridgend with 100.

Meanwhile Vale of Glamorgan had 96 new cases, Powys had 91, Neath Port Talbot had 89, Wrexham had 84, Torfaen had 73, Gwynedd had 72 and Pembrokeshire and Conwy both had 65.

The local authorities with the lowest number of cases included Ceredigion with 62, Denbighshire with 59, Flintshire with 57, Blaenau Gwent with 45, Anglesey with 38, Merthyr Tydfil with 35 and Monmouthshire with 31.

As of November 4 there were 761 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), a fall on the 785 reported the day before.

Aneurin Bevan UHB had the most Covid patients in general and acute hospital beds on November 4 with 187 followed by Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB with 145, Cardiff and Vale UHB with 134, Hywel Dda UHB with 104, Betsi Cadwaladr UHB with 96 and Swansea Bay UHB with 94.

As of November 4 there were 73 people in invasive ventilated beds in Wales with coronavirus. Cardiff and Vale UHB had 20, Betsi Cadwaladr UHB had 14, Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB had 12, Hywel Dda UHB had 11, Aneurin Bevan UHB had 10 and Swansea Bay UHB had six.

Yesterday Public Health Wales figures showed that 2,448,879 people have had one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,246,996 have had both doses.

PHW has now released figures on the number of people who have received their Covid booster vaccine. To date 492,433 have had it including more than two-thirds of care home residents (71.6%), twothirds of healthcare workers (66.6%), and more than half of care home workers (56.5%) and those over 80 years old (64%).

On Tuesday the Welsh Government confirmed that it has now offered a Covid jab to all 12 to 15-year-olds. However to date only 46.5% of people in this age group have actually had it.

South Wales Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to October 31: ■■Blaenau Gwent: 634.1 (down from 635.5) ■■Newport: 611.6 (down from 620) ■■Caerphilly: 725.1 (up from 724.6) ■■Torfaen: 768.4 (up from 752.4) ■■Cardiff: 617.3 (down from 620.6) ■■Vale of Glamorgan: 774.8 (down from 777)

■■Merthyr Tydfil: 459.2 (down from 485.7) ■■Rhondda Cynon Taf: 477.9 (down from 480.4) ■■Bridgend: 495.1 (up from 491.7) ■■All Wales total: 548.4 (down from 550.6)