Wales records 2,417 positive cases and a further 17 deaths

A FURTHER 17 people have died with coronavirus in Wales, according to the latest figures from Public Health Wales.

New figures published yesterday, which cover the 24-hour period up to 9am on Tuesday, show the total number of Covid-related deaths in Wales now stands at 6,314.

There were also 2,417 new positive cases recorded in the latest update, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 479,712.

The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales, based on the cases for every 100,000 people (for the seven days up to November 12) now stands at 498 – a rise from the 491.5 reported on Tuesday. It is creeping back towards 500, nearly a week after the seven-day infection rate went down below this number for the first time since early October.

The local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales is Vale of Glamorgan with 672.2 cases per 100,000 population over seven days, closely followed by Gwynedd with 657.5 and Torfaen with 570.4.

The test positivity rate across Wales is at 19%, which has remained fairly stable so far this week.

The areas recording the highest numbers of new Covid cases are Cardiff with 311, Swansea 190, Vale of Glamorgan 176, Rhondda Cynon Taf 162, Caerphilly 135, Carmarthenshire 132, Newport 130, Bridgend 108, Gwynedd and Wrexham with 101 each, and Powys 100.

Meanwhile, Neath Port Talbot had 95 new cases, Torfaen had 73, Denbighshire had 65, and Monmouthshire had 64.

The local authorities recording the fewest cases included Conwy with 51, Blaenau Gwent with 49, Merthyr Tydfil with 40, Anglesey with 34 and Ceredigion with 27.

As of November 11 there were 733 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected and recovering), a rise on the 732 reported on November 10. There were 67 people in a ventilated intensive care bed with Covid-19 on November 11, a drop on the 73 reported the day before.

Public Health Wales figures showed that 2,460,549 people had received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,254,184 had been given both

doses. To date, 653,562 people have received their Covid booster vaccine according to PHW, including threequarters of care home residents (77%) and over-80s (74.6%), more than two thirds of healthcare workers (69.8%) and over half of all care home workers (60.3%).

Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to November 12:

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Blaenau Gwent: 493.8 (down from 503.9)

Newport: 479.1 (down from 482.9) Caerphilly: 484.3 (down from 487.1) Torfaen: 570.4 (down from 586.4) Monmouthshire: 559.3 (from 533.9)

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Conwy: 333.6 (up from 330.2) Anglesey: 309.8 (up from 274.1) Gwynedd: 657.5 (up from 604.5) Denbighshire: 483.8 (up from 470.2) Flintshire: 370.3 (up from 366.4) Wrexham: 495.7 (up from 492.1)

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Cardiff: 562 (up from 560.4) Vale of Glamorgan: 672.2 (up from 649.8)

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Merthyr Tydfil: 522.2 (up from 492.3) Rhondda Cynon Taf: 424 (up from 403.3)

Bridgend: 477.4 (down from 484.2)

Hywel Dda University Health Board Carmarthenshire: 543 (up from 537.7) Pembrokeshire: 422 (up from 403) Ceredigion: 260 (down from 286.1)

Powys Teaching Health Board Powys: 540.6 (up from 527.1)

Swansea Bay University Health Board Neath Port Talbot: 540.1 (down from 552.6)

Swansea: 501.2 (down from 508.1)

It is now compulsory for visitors to cinemas, theatres and concert halls in Wales to show a Covid pass. On Monday, health officials recommended the Covid-19 booster programme should be extended to include healthy 40 to 49-year-olds.