New national record as virus case rate keeps on rising

WALES’S seven-day coronavirus infection rate has continued to rise.

Public Health Wales figures published yesterday shows there were 12 further Covid deaths recorded to bring the Wales total to 6,086. Additionally, there were 3,152 new positive cases reported, bringing the total number of cases to 418,980. The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales has now reached 716.9, the highest level since the pandemic began.

The areas recording the highest numbers of cases in the latest 24-hour period were: Cardiff with 441, Rhondda Cynon Taf with 259 and Swansea with 237. Neath Port Talbot had 169 cases, Camarthenshire had 126 and Powys 100. Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to October 18: ■■Blaenau Gwent: 1315.5 (up from 1185.2) ■■Caerphilly: 1080.8 (up from 961.5) ■■Neath Port Talbot: 1037.6 (up from 929.4) ■■Torfaen: 1035.5 (up from 1000.4) ■■Newport: 883.1 (up from 797.8) ■■Vale of Glamorgan: 869.8 (up from 863.1) ■■Cardiff: 819.3 (down from 826.9) ■■Pembs: 809.1 (up from 779.7) ■■Monmouthshire: 792.9 (up from 744.3) ■■RCT: 761.8 (up from 683.9) ■■Merthyr Tydfil: 689.6 (up from 641.5) ■■Denbighshire: 640.4 (up from 628) ■■Carmarthenshire: 618.2 (up from 606) ■■Powys: 605.6 (down from 613.1) ■■Swansea: 584.6 (up from 557.5) ■■Bridgend: 549.5 (up from 508) ■■Anglesey: 474 (down from 508.7) ■■Ceredigion: 462.2 (up from 371.45) ■■Gwynedd: 452. 8( up from 451.2) ■■Conwy: 383.9 (down from 392.5) ■■Flintshire: 374. 8 (up from 365.2) ■■Wrexham: 368. 5 (down from 385.4) ■■All-wales average: 716.9 (up from 681.9)