WHAT’S BEHIND CITY VIRUS RATE?
COULD GATHERINGS BE TO BLAME?:
CARDIFF and Swansea have more coronavirus than any other part of Wales.
Wales’s two largest cities currently have higher rates of the virus and a higher positivity percentage.
Despite most of Wales continuing to see rapid falls in Covid numbers, Swansea and Cardiff have stay persistently about 30 per 100,000 people.
Cardiff and Swansea both currently have 31.6 cases per 100,000.
Speculation is growing that high profile ‘rulebreaking’ and larger gatherings in Swansea and Cardiff Bay have contributed to the increase in the cities.
With the exception of Anglesey, no other local authority has more than 20 cases per 100,000.
Anglesey also has high rates at 31.4 but because of population differences this is significantly fewer cases.
On average, Wales has a positivity percentage of 2%. Cardiff and Swansea are 3.5 and 3.7, respectively, suggesting higher community transmission.
By contrast Monmouthshire has 0.2%.
These are areas of the cities with the most cases (remember at this hyper local level the numbers can be very volatile day to day):
■ Ravenhill, Swansea 166.1
■ Grangetown North, Cardiff 145
■ Pwll-mawr & St Mellons East, Cardiff 107.7
■ Trowbridge, Cardiff 96.6
■ Cockett, Swansea 96.6
■ Butetown, Cardiff 83.3
■ Pen-y-lan North, Cardiff 77.3
■ Pontcanna, Cardiff 75
■ Grangetown South, Cardiff 72.4
■ Adamsdown, Cardiff 66.3
■ Llanrumney South, Cardiff 60.7
■ Killay, Swansea 59.8
■ Landore, Swansea 58.3
■ Mynydd-bach, Swansea 55
■ Townhill, Swansea 55
■ Cathays North, Cardiff 53
■ Birchgrove, Swansea 49.6
■ Splott, Cardiff 48.7
■ St Mellons West, Cardiff 46.2
■ West Cross, Swansea 46.1
In recent weeks there have been several high profile incidents of rules breaking in both Cardiff and Swansea.
Sections of Cardiff Bay had to be fenced off after large crowds gathered for a massive party with very little social distancing.
Swansea Marina and surrounding areas were also left in a state after a similar incidents.
However it is too early to know if these events have contributed to the persistently higher cases in the cities.
Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the novel coronavirus outbreak response at Public Health
Wales, said: “It is too soon to tell if the illegal mass gathering events at Cardiff Bay and SA1 have had any impact on coronavirus case rates in Cardiff and Swansea.
“We continue to monitor the situation and we remind the general public that coronavirus is still circulating in our communities.
“A large number of people have not yet been fully vaccinated, it is therefore vital that people observe social distancing, wear face coverings when in indoor spaces, and wash hands regularly.
“These actions will help prevent transmission of the virus.”
It is worth noting that built-up areas have always
‘‘ It is too soon to tell if the illegal mass gathering events at Cardiff Bay and SA1 have had any impact on coronavirus case rates in Cardiff and Swansea - Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the novel coronavirus outbreak response at Public Health Wales
been the most affected throughout this pandemic because there are so many more possible ways to transmit the virus as well as poorer areas.
Both Swansea and Cardiff local authority areas are more densely populated than most other areas and have pockets of significant poverty.
It is unsurprising that the relatively rural and prosperous county of Monmouthshire currently has easily the lowest Covid rates at just 1.1 per 100,000.
This is further backed up by the situation in England.
If we look at the 10 local authorities in England with the highest Covid rates they are all predominantly built-up areas with large pockets of deprivation. ■ Corby 110.8 ■ Mansfield 107.9 ■ Barnsley 98.4 ■ Wakefield 84.1 ■ Luton 81.7 ■ Leicester 81 ■ Bradford 79.3 ■ Doncaster 77.3 ■ Wellingborough 75.3 ■ Sheffield 74