Warning to ‘stay vigilant’ as Wales’ lockdown rules lift modestly
ONE more person has died with coronavirus in Wales and the infection rate across the country has risen slightly.
Latest data published by Public Health Wales yesterday reported 125 new positive cases in the last 24-hour period which brings the total since the outbreak began to 209,191.
The overall number of people to have died in the country within a month of testing positive for the virus now stands at 5,506.
The infection rate across Wales is now 38.1 per 100,000 people, based on the seven days up to March 24 – up slightly from 37.8 on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the percentage of tests coming back with positive results is now 2.8%, way below the key benchmark of 5%.
The latest figures also show that 1,400,750 people have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 416,862 have had both doses.
Swansea was the county with the highest number of new cases reported yesterday with 33, followed by Neath Port Talbot with 16, Cardiff with 13 and Gwynedd with 11.
All other counties had fewer than 10 new cases, including Rhondda Cynon Taf and Carmarthenshire with seven each, Caerphilly and Flintshire with five each, Blaenau Gwent and Newport with four each, and Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend with three each.
Five local authorities reported two cases apiece – namely Torfaen, Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire and Wrexham – while Powys and Merthyr Tydfil reported one case each.
Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Monmouthshire all reported no cases yesterday.
Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the novel coronavirus outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “People should stay within the borders of Wales unless for essential travel such as work or education.
“In addition, six people from two households are able to meet outdoors, organised outdoors activities for children under 18 can resume, and libraries can reopen. This slight easing of Covid19 lockdown rules is encouraging, however we need to be very clear that coronavirus has not gone away. While the number of cases is declining overall, there are still several areas which have higher rates and there are still a large number of people who have not been vaccinated. In order to protect everyone, including the most vulnerable, we must all stick to the rules.
“Everyone must maintain constant vigilance by keeping 2m apart from people that you don’t live with, practising hand hygiene and wearing a mask in indoor environments.
“Welsh Government restrictions state that you should not go into any other household or mix indoors with other people who you don’t live with.
“If you are contacted by your local TTP (test, trace and protect) team then it is important that you are truthful with them about where you have been and who you have met.
“They are not there to judge, they are there to help prevent ongoing transmission of the virus and to protect the community.”