Three more die in Wales amid 370 fresh cases

THREE more people have died with coronavirus in Wales and 370 new cases have been diagnosed.

Figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) show that there were 370 new lab-confirmed cases of Covid-19 recorded for yesterday’s figures – a jump of 50 from the 320 recorded the day before.

PHW also confirmed that three more people had died with lab-confirmed coronavirus, taking the total since the pandemic began in Wales to 1,612.

Blaenau Gwent, which is one of six local authorities currently under a local lockdown, recorded 246.2 positive cases per 100,000 population in the last week – by some way the most of any local authority in Wales.

There is only one part of England where the infection rate is higher, Burnley, which has an infection rate of 256.4 per 100,000 people.

But Blaenau Gwent’s is now higher than Bolton, which had previously been the highest in England at 218.4.

Blaenau Gwent also had a test positivity rate of 11.7%, way above the national average of 5%.

In the last seven days, Blaenau Gwent (population 69,000) has had more positive cases, 172, than Cardiff (population 367,000), which has had 156 cases and will go into local lockdown tonight.

The numbers led Dr Christopher Williams, incident director for the coronavirus outbreak response at Public Health Wales, to encourage “anyone living in Blaenau Gwent and who has symptoms of Covid-19 to get a test, following a rapid rise in cases”.

A mobile testing unit has been set up in Blaenau Gwent. Local residents can book a test by calling 0300 303 1222.

Merthyr Tydfil (169.1) and Rhondda Cynon Taf (136.4) continued to have very high cases per 100,000, while the Wales average per 100,000 population is now at 48.5 – up from 44.9 the day before.