Three new deaths, but infections still heading downward and below key benchmark
WALES has reported three new deaths related to coronavirus after two successive days without any being reported.
The latest daily update from Public Health Wales (PHW) yesterday recorded 159 new cases in the last 24-hour period, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 208,277.
The number of people who have died with coronavirus in Wales within a month of a positive test is now at 5,491.
The infection rate across Wales is now 40.5 cases per 100,000 of population based on the seven days up to March 19, slightly down from 41.5 on Tuesday and below the key Welsh Government benchmark of 50.
The percentage of tests coming back with positive results is now below the key 5% benchmark at 3.3% in the last seven days.
The data shows that 1,302,974 people have now received a first dose of the vaccine and a further 366,803 have had both jabs.
Uptake of the first vaccine dose by priority group (according to PHW):
■ Care home residents: 12,272 (95.7%)
■ Care home workers: 34,720 (87%)
■ Healthcare workers: 135,646 (89.7%)
■ Social care workers: 49,011
■ 80 and older: 166,402 (94.7%)
■ 75-79: 127,176 (95.3%)
■ 70-74: 174,149 (94.8%)
■ Clinically extremely vulnerable 16-69: 74,158 (90.8%)
■ 65-69: 166,659 (92.4%)
■ Clinical risk groups 16-64: 240,676 (72.4%)
■ 60-64: 172,516 (83.9%)
■ 55-59: 126,475 (54.2%)
■ 50-54: 91,042 (40%)
Swansea saw the highest number of new cases reported yesterday with 24, followed by Neath Port Talbot and Anglesey with 12 apiece, Merthyr Tydfil with 11 and Conwy, Cardiff and Flintshire all with 10. Carmarthenshire had six new cases.
Cases per 100,000 based on seven-day rolling average (March 13 to 19) (selected South Wales counties):
■ Blaenau Gwent: 68.7 (up from 61.5)
■ Cardiff: 33.3 (up from 30.3)
■ Vale of Glamorgan: 38.2 (down from 43.4)
■ Merthyr Tydfil: 112.7 (up from 111.1)
■ Rhondda Cynon Taf: 22.4 (down from 23.6)
■ Bridgend: 19 (up from 17.0)
■ Carmarthenshire: 30.7 (down from 36.0)
■ Powys: 15.9 (up from 15.1)
■ Neath Port Talbot: 46.8 (up from 45.4)
■ Swansea: 53.4 (down from 56.7)
■ Wales total: 40.5 (down from 41.5)