No deaths as rate continues to drop

NO new coronavirus deaths were reported in Wales in the last 24 hours and new case levels remain very low.

Only 35 new coronavirus cases were reported by Public Health Wales yesterday. The last time case levels in Wales were this low was August 2020.

At the peak of the second wave in December and January, as many as 4,142 new cases were reported in a single 24-hour period.

Wales also reported no new Covid deaths for the second day in a row yesterday.

The infection rate across Wales now stands at 11.9 cases per 100,000 people for the seven days up to April 23, a decrease from 12.2 on Monday.

This is still slightly higher than at the end of August last year but the rate has been falling consistently from a peak of 650 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to December 16.

The stats published on Tuesday by Public Health Wales (PHW) bring the total number of positive cases since the pandemic began to 211,389.

The country’s overall number of lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths remains at 5,548.

The percentage of tests coming back with positive results stands at 1.3%, significantly below the key benchmark of 5%. Gwynedd (2.4%), Newport (2.6%) and Swansea (2.2%) are the only local authorities recording more than 2%.

The latest figures also show that 1,800,428 people have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 715,425 people have had both.

Uptake of the first vaccine dose by priority group (according to PHW):

Care home residents: 14,999 (97.7%)

Care home workers: 34,445 (90.4%)

80 and older: 166,350 (95.5%)

Healthcare workers: 134,378 (94.1%)

Social care workers: 45,197 (no percentage available) 75-79: 127,965 (96.2%) 70-74: 175,333 (95.5%) Clinically extremely vulnerable 16-69: 75,769 (93%) 65-69: 168,982 (93.7%) Clinical risk groups 16-64: 299,695 (85%) 60-64: 187,827 (91.3%) 55-59: 207,750 (88.9%) 50-54: 197,070 (86.4%) 40-49: 278,034 (70.9%) 30-39: 162,270 (38.6%) 18-29: 102,774 (22%) Cardiff reported the most cases with nine and Caerphilly reported five.

Wrexham reported three new cases while Newport, Torfaen, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire and Swansea each reported two new cases.

Flintshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Vale of Glamorgan and Neath Port Talbot each reported one new case.

Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Anglesey, Conwy, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Powys reported no new cases.

Cases per 100,000 (seven-day rolling average April 17 to 23):

Blaenau Gwent: (up from 7.2)

Newport: from 22.6)

Caerphilly: 7.7 (down from 8.3)

Torfaen: from 12.8)

Monmouthshire: (unchanged)

Conwy: 5.1 (up from 4.3)

Anglesey: 5.7 (down from 11.4)

Gwynedd: 20.9 (down from 23.3)

Denbighshire: (down from 5.2)

Flintshire: 11.5 (down from 12.8)

Wrexham: from 17.7)

Cardiff: from 15.5)

Vale of Glamorgan: 8.2 (unchanged)

Merthyr Tydfil: 5 (up from 3.3)

Rhondda Cynon Taf: 5.8 (down from 6.6)

Bridgend: 10.9 (down from 11.6)

Carmarthenshire: 10.1 (down from 12.2)

Pembrokeshire: (up from 4)

Ceredigion: (unchanged)

Powys: 12.1 (down from 13.6)

Neath Port Talbot: 16.7 (up from 15.4)

Swansea: 20.6 from 17)

Wales total: 11.9 (down from 12.2)

On Monday, outdoor hospitality was allowed to resume at cafés, pubs, bars and restaurants.

Outdoor attractions, including outdoor swimming pools, funfairs and theme parks, are also open again. 27.2 8.6 (up 9.6 (down 5.3 3.2 19.1 (up 12.5 (down 4.8 6.9 (up