Four more deaths and 3,462 new cases recorded

THERE have been four further Covid deaths in Wales, Public Health Wales has confirmed.

The latest data, published yesterday, confirmed that the total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test had now risen to 6,508.

The figures, which cover the 24-hour period up to 9am on December 17, also show that there have been 3,462 new positive cases in that time, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 553,163.

The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales, based on the seven days up to December 13, is 503.4, up slightly on the 501.3 that was reported on Friday.

The local authority with the highest infection rate in all of Wales is Anglesey.

The test positivity rate across Wales is at 17%, up slightly from the 16.8% reported on Friday.

In south-east Wales, the areas recording the highest numbers of new Covid cases in the latest 24-hour period were Cardiff with 511 and Rhondda Cynon Taf with 243.

Bridgend had 170, the Vale of Glamorgan had 158, Newport had 157, Caerphilly recorded 137 new cases and Torfaen had 101.

Counties in south-east Wales which recorded fewer than 100 new cases were Blaenau Gwent with 56, and Merthyr Tydfil with

53.

As of December 16, there were 463 people in general and acute hospital beds in Wales with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), a fall on the 476 reported on December

15. There were 33 people in ventilated intensive care beds with Covid-19 on December 16, two less than the day before.

In terms of vaccinations, figures show that 2,479,789 people had received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,285,976 had been given both doses.

Meanwhile, more than one million people in Wales (1,197,368) have now received their Covid booster vaccine.

Infection rate for every 100,000 people in south-east Wales for the seven days up to December 13:

■■Blaenau Gwent: 418.0 (down from 426.6) ■■Newport: 558.6 (up from 556) ■■Caerphilly: 489.9 (up from 481) ■■Torfaen: 519.4 (down from 525.8)

■■Cardiff: 487.9 (up from 476.1) ■■Vale of Glamorgan: 555.4 (up from 546.5) ■■Merthyr Tydfil: 477.4 (up from 450.9)

■■Rhondda Cynon Taf: 468.8 (up from from 428.2) ■■Bridgend: 561 (down from 580.8)

■■All-Wales total: 503.4 (up from 501.3)