Cases continuing to decline across borough - figures

THE coronavirus case rate across Neath Port Talbot has fallen again, according to the latest figures published by Public Health Wales.

Rates in most areas of the county borough have continued to decrease from a peak in middecember, when Neath Port Talbot had one of the highest rates of coronavirus infections in Wales.

At the time, Glyncorrwg and Blaengwynfi had more than 2,000 coronavirus cases per 100,000.

Some parts of Neath now have an infection rate below 20. Pontardawe is the area with the lowest infection rate at 17.

The areas with the highest rate of coronavirus cases in the county borough currently are Skewen and Jersey Marine, Aberdulais and Resolven and Dulais Valley.

Public Health Wales (PHW) figures published on Friday, April 9 show 144 new cases of the virus have been recorded in Wales, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 210,219.

The number of people who have died with the virus in Wales has now reached 5,528 since the start of the pandemic.

The latest figures show that, overall, Wales’s infection rate is now 20.4 per 100,000 population for the seven days up to April 4, down from 21 on Thursday. The infection rate in Neath Port Talbot is now 26.5 (down from 28.6 on Thursday).

Latest case figures for Neath Port Talbot, calculated per 100,000 population in each area, have been published by Public Health Wales and cover a seven-day rolling period from March 29 to April 4.

It is really important to bear in mind that the following data is very volatile because it covers such small areas.

Where an area has a very small population even one positive case can push up the rate of cases per 100,000 significantly.

You should therefore be cautious about drawing too many conclusions directly from the information.

■ Infection rates per 100,000 by area in Neath Port Talbot – this is over a seven-day rolling period from March 29 to April 4 rounded to the nearest whole number.

The figures are correct and the most recent available as of Friday afternoon, April 9.

The symbol ‘<’ means less than the quoted figure. ■ Skewen and Jersey Marine - 64 ■ Aberdulais and Resolven - 59 ■ Dulais Valley - 57 ■ Neath Abbey - 51 ■ Ystalyfera and Gwauncae-gurwen - 48 ■ Cimla - <40 ■ Glyncorrwg and Blaengwynfi - <40 ■ Glynneath - <38 ■ Briton Ferry - 38 ■ Port Talbot South and Margam - <31 ■ Neath South - <31 ■ Aberavon - 31 ■ Baglan - <30 ■ Cadoxton and Bryncoch - <30 ■ Neath Town - <30 ■ Port Talbot East - <28 ■ Cwmavon and Bryn <26 ■ Sandfields - <21 ■ Pontardawe - <17

■ What are the vaccination figures for Neath Port Talbot’s health board?

The number of vaccination doses administered by Swansea Bay University Health Board up to April 9 was 241,179. This is the most recent data.

The actual figure will be slightly higher due to a delay in the input of data.

The number of vaccination doses administered by Swansea Bay University Health Board up to March 14 was 170,469 . This is the most recent data.

However, there was a technical issue on Public Health Wales’s website meaning the more recent vaccination report was delayed.

■ How many people with coronavirus are in hospital in Neath Port Talbot’s health board?

On April 8 there were 1,136 general and acute beds occupied across Swansea Bay University Health Board. Of these, 94 were taken up by a Covid case. This is the most recent data

Whereas on March 25 there were 1,121 general and acute beds occupied across Swansea Bay University Health Board. Of these, 129 were taken up by a Covid-19 case.

Out of 28 invasive ventilated beds occupied across the board on April 8, 2 were occupied by a Covid-19 case.

Similarly on March 25 out of 28 invasive ventilated beds occupied across the board, 2 were occupied by a Covid-19 case