Significant rise in number contracting Covid

WALES has recorded a significant rise in the number of people contracting Covid-19.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) infection survey, which is based on a random sample, has revealed that the estimated number of people testing positive for the virus for the week ending October 10 was 117,600, which equates to 3.87% of the population or around one in 25 people.

That’s up on the previous week when 2.47%, or around one in 40 of Wales’ population, was thought to have Covid. Across the UK, total Covid-19 infections have climbed above two million for the first time since July, but levels are not rising in all parts of the country.

Between October 1 and October 18, Public Health Wales reported 55 deaths among people who tested positive for Covid, although this does not mean the virus was the cause. There have now been 7,935 Covid-related deaths since the pandemic began, with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board recording the most of any health board with 2,148.

The number of people catching Covid in hospitals is also on the rise. The seven-day rolling count of hospital-acquired infection was 232 on October 16 – exactly a month earlier it was 64.