Another 2,700 new cases and 24 deaths
ANOTHER 24 people have died with coronavirus in Wales and more than 2,700 new positive cases have been identified.
Latest figures from Public Health Wales for Tuesday recorded 2,761 new cases of the virus to bring the total since the pandemic began to 128,089. The overall death total, which includes a record 69 on Sunday, now stands at 3,149 in Wales.
Following the latest figures, the infection rate now stands at 634 cases per 100,000 people based on the seven days up to December 17.
That is a rise on the 628.2 recorded on Monday.
These figures are based on when the date tests were done, not when the date test results were included on the system, meaning it is an accurate reflection of the extent to which the virus is spreading rapidly in Wales.
The rise in cases has been partly blamed on a “new variant” of the virus which is said to cause up to 60% of new infections in Wales.
Merthyr Tydfil remains the local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales with a seven-day rate of 1,317.8 cases per 100,000 population, up on 1,269.8.
Bridgend has the second-highest rate with 1,159.5 per 100,000 population. Blaenau Gwent is third with 1,019.2 cases per 100,000, up from 1,013.4 on Monday.
Cardiff had the highest number of new cases on Monday with 388, followed by RCT with 325, Swansea with 273, Bridgend with 254, Neath Port Talbot with 186, Carmarthenshire with 182, Caerphilly with 156 and Newport with 152.