Eight deaths but infection rate now dropping

EIGHT more people have died with coronavirus in Wales according to latest figures from Public Health Wales (PHW).

The data published yesterday also revealed there were 2,007 new positive cases, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 368,629.

The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales based on cases for every 100,000 people (seven days up to October 1) has begun to fall and now stands at 507.3, a significant drop on the 530.5 reported on Tuesday.

The local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales is now Torfaen with 688.6 cases per 100,000 population over seven days, followed by Denbighshire with 632.2 and Vale of Glamorgan with 630.3.

Test positivity rates across Wales now stands at 14.5%, with Denbighshire having the greatest proportion of tests coming back positive at 17.1%. Test positivity has been slowly falling for the last month after peaking at 22% across Wales in the first week of September.

The areas of the country recording the highest numbers of Covid cases in the latest 24-hour period were Cardiff with 321,

Swansea with 229, Carmarthenshire with 160, RCT with 139, Caerphilly with 128 and Vale of Glamorgan with 114.

Neath Port Talbot had 96 new cases, Torfaen 92, Pembrokeshire 86, Powys 84, Newport 80, Flintshire 71 and Bridgend 69.

The local authorities with the lowest numbers of cases are Anglesey (35), Ceredigion (28), Gwynedd (27), Blaenau Gwent (16) and Merthyr Tydfil (15).

As of Tuesday there were 565 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), down on the 584 reported in Monday’s figures.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (UHB) had the most Covid patients in general and acute hospital beds on October 5 with 134, followed by Aneurin Bevan UHB with 130, Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB with 117, Cardiff and Vale UHB with 84, Swansea Bay UHB with 58 and Hywel Dda UHB with 42.

As of Tuesday there were 47 people in invasive ventilated beds in Wales with coronavirus. Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB had the most with 11, Hywel Dda had 10 and Swansea Bay had eight.

Yesterday PHW said 2,385,622 people had had one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,226,708 had had both doses.

Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to October 1 (selected): ■■Torfaen: 688.6 (down from 691.8) ■■Denbighshire: 632.2 (up from 630.1) ■■Vale of Glamorgan: 630.3 (up from 628.8) ■■Neath Port Talbot: 599.4 (down from 662.9) ■■Caerphilly: 594.2 (down from 635.1) ■■Carmarthenshire: 580.6 (down from 594.9) ■■Cardiff: 557.4 (up from 551.1) ■■Swansea: 546.2 (down from 589.1) ■■RCT: 520.2 (down from 580.3) ■■Pembrokeshire: 512.6 (up from 480.1) ■■Merthyr Tydfil: 409.4 (down from 485.7) ■■Wrexham: 366.3 (down from 386.9) ■■Monmouthshire: 326.7 (down from 357.3) ■■Ceredigion: 323.3 (down from 365.9) ■■Powys: 319.4 (down from 355.6) ■■All-wales average: 507.3 (down from 530.5)