No new coronavirus deaths recorded for fourth day in a row, says Public Health Wales

WALES has recorded no new coronavirus deaths for the ninth time this month - and the fourth day in a row.

Public Health Wales (PHW) has published the latest daily update of deaths and cases foryesterday. These are the key details: ■ Deaths reported today: 0 ■ Cases reported today: 19 ■ Number of new tests: 3,963

■ Total deaths with lab-confirmed coronavirus in Wales: 1,589

■ Deaths in Wales where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate (latest ONS data): 2,544

These are the areas with the highest seven-day rolling averages for new cases – one of the key benchmarks watched by Public Health Wales.

All figures are reported as cases adjusted for population (100k people)

■ Wrexham: 8.1 cases

■ Anglesey: 5.7 cases ■ Denbighshire: 5.2 cases

■ Powys: 4.5 cases

■ Cardiff: 4.4 cases

■ Flintshire: 3.2 cases

■ Gwynedd: 3.2 cases

■ Newport: 1.9 cases

(All other areas have below the Wales average of cases per 100,000 people)

The area of England that has the highest rate of cases to people is Oldham, which has a rate of 107.5 cases for every 100,000 people when the data was last published.

There were no new deaths reported by PHW in Wales on 13 occasions in July (July 6, 10, 12, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27 and 28) and seven times previously this month (on August 3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17 and 18).

PHW said yesterday the number of lab-confirmed positive cases of coronavirus in Wales had increased by 19 to bring the total to 17,639.

However, this does not necessarily mean no-one has died with the virus on those specific dates as it can take several days for a death to be logged officially.

So-called “true” death figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which include deaths in all places and also when Covid-19 is suspected rather than confirmed, found that 2,544 had died with the virus in Wales registered up to August 15.

Despite testing capacity standing at more than 15,000 each day in Wales, 3,963 took place on Wednesday, August 19.

The latest figures were announced 24 hours after the Welsh Government

published its ‘Coronavirus

Control Plan’.

The plan outlines a series of measures the country will take should the prevalence of coronavirus increase in communities.

While its main focus is on preventing the spread of the virus, it also analyses what will be done should local or national outbreaks occur.

For instance, a community could be put into lockdown, or have certain freedoms reduced, if there is:

A significant and sustained rise in new cases and other disease indicators at a local or regional level;

A significant increase in the sevenday rolling average of confirmed cases per 100,000 population and sustained increase in the rate of change which is not under control;

A high and rising percentage of positive tests and testing rate per 100,000 population, in particular evidence of wider community transmission;

A rise in the numbers and locations of incidents (clusters with the potential for onward transmission) that cannot be linked to trends in known areas, locations or settings under control measures;

A rise in the number and proportion of new cases which are not part of an identified cluster or outbreak. Potential interventions include: Closing businesses and venues within the area;

Providing guidance or impose restrictions on movement of people;

Imposing restrictions on gatherings or events by limiting how many people can meet and in what settings;

Restricting transport systems by limiting when people may use transport.

The Welsh Government claims Wales would be “much better prepared” for the virus a second time round.