Ten more deaths although a slight drop in infection rates

TEN 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 2,965 new positive cases, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 395,247.

The 10 additional deaths recorded bring the overall toll within 28 days of a positive Covid test to 6,015 in Wales.

The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales based on the cases for every 100,000 people (seven days up to October 11) now stands at 529.3, a drop on the 531.7 reported on Friday.

The local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales is Torfaen with 749.2 cases per 100,000 population over seven days followed by Cardiff with 728.5 and Vale of Glamorgan with 720.1.

Test positivity rates across Wales have risen from 15.2% to 17.7% in a week, with Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan having the greatest proportion of tests coming back positive at 22.2% and 22.3%.

The areas of the country recording the highest numbers of Covid cases in the latest 24-hour period were Cardiff with 432, Caerphilly with 295, Swansea with 233, Rhondda Cynon Taf with 226, Neath Port Talbot with 202, and Newport with 161.

Carmarthenshire had 142 new cases, Vale of Glamorgan 136, Pembrokeshire 127, Bridgend 109, and Monmouthshire 103.

The local authorities with the lowest numbers of cases included Torfaen with 82, Denbighshire with 75, Flintshire with 73, Wrexham with 60, Conwy with 57, Anglesey with 55, Gwynedd with 49, and Ceredigion with 30.

As of Thursday there were 618 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), up on the 601 reported the previous day.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (UHB) had the most Covid patients in general and acute hospital beds on Thursday with 149 followed by Cardiff and Vale UHB and Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB with 112 each, Betsi Cadwaladr UHB with 98, Swansea Bay UHB with 77, and Hywel Dda UHB with 70.

As of Thursday there were 51 people in invasive ventilated beds in Wales with coronavirus. Hywel Dda UHB had the most with 12, followed by Betsi Cadwaladr UHB with 11, Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB with 10, Swansea Bay UHB with eight, Aneurin Bevan UHB with five, and Cardiff and Vale UHB also with five.

On Thursday Public Health Wales figures showed that 2,405,335 people had had one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,233,773 had had both doses. Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to October 11: ■■Torfaen: 749.2 (up from 709.9) ■■Cardiff: 728.5 (up from 705.4) ■■Vale of Glamorgan: 720.1 (up from 696.9) ■■Pembrokeshire: 651.7 (up from 614.4) ■■Carmarthenshire: 627.2 (down from 636.2) ■■Denbighshire: 564.3 (up from 545.5) ■■Swansea: 536.5 (down from 547.4) ■■Powys: 524 (up from 500.6) ■■Caerphilly: 501.4 (down from 588.7) ■■Neath Port Talbot: 498.2 (down from 547) ■■Anglesey: 488.3 (down from 549.7) ■■Monmouthshire: 451.4 (up from 439.8) ■■Rhondda Cynon Taf: 446.8 (down from 486.2) ■■Gwynedd: 439.1 (up from 415.1) ■■Conwy: 438.6 (down from 420.6) ■■Newport: 428.6 (down from 449.3) ■■Wrexham: 428.1 (down from 399.4) ■■Flintshire: 424.7 (up from 430.5) ■■Ceredigion: 374.2 (down from 383.8) ■■Bridgend: 372.7 (down from 391.7) ■■Blaenau Gwent: 370.7 (up from 367.9) ■■Merthyr Tydfil: 364.7 (up from 363) ■■All-wales average: 529.3 (down from 531.7)