New figures reveal 18 more have died as Covid infection rate continues to rise

EIGHTEEN more people have died with coronavirus, according to latest figures from Public Health Wales.

Data published on Wednesday, covering a 24-hour period, also show 1,745 new positive PCR test results to bring the total to 860,727.

The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test in Wales now stands at 7,144. The latest infection rate based on PCR tests for the seven days up to March 25 is 455.9 cases for every 100,000 people – a rise from the 451.5 cases recorded the previous Tuesday.

The highest positivity rates were in Blaenau Gwent (46.5%), Monmouthshire (42.5%) and Torfaen (42.1%).

The highest infection rate (based on PCR tests) for the seven days up to March 25 was Blaenau Gwent with 727.1 cases per 100,000 population, followed by

Denbighshire with 527.7 and Vale of Glamorgan with 541.2.

Cardiff recorded the most positive cases over the latest 24-hour period with 201 followed by RCT with 159, Caerphilly with 100, Newport with 97, Swansea with 92, Bridgend with 92, Carmarthenshire with 91, Wrexham with 85, Torfaen with 84, Vale of Glamorgan with 83 and Flintshire with 80.

Neath Port Talbot had 79 new cases, Gwynedd had 67,

Monmouthshire had 54, Powys had 53, Blaenau Gwent had 49, Conwy had 44, Denbighshire had 40 and Pembrokeshire had 36.

The local authorities with the lowest numbers of new cases in Wales were Merthyr Tydfil with 35, Anglesey with 33 and Ceredigion with 32.

As of Tuesday there were 17 patients in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19, down from 19 on Monday. Eight of them were based in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB), four were in Hywel Dda UHB, three were in Swansea Bay UHB, one was in Aneurin Bevan UHB and one was in Betsi Cadwaladr UHB.

A total of 2,528,858 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,399,745 have been given two doses. Meanwhile 1,922,325 people have been given their booster jabs in Wales.