Three more die as Covid infections keep rising

THREE more people have died after contracting coronavirus in Wales, it has been revealed.

The latest update from Public Health Wales (PHW) yesterday confirmed 1,112 more positive cases to bring the total since the pandemic began to 230,619.

The three additional reported Covid-19 deaths by the NHS trust means the overall total now stands at 5,586.

Wales’ infection rate now stands at 161.1 cases per 100,000 people, based on the seven days between July 6 and 12 – up on 156.3 on Friday. It has not been this high since late January. Eighteen of Wales’ 22 local authorities are now reporting more than 100 positive cases per 100,00 people.

PHW no longer updates coronavirus figures on a Saturday, which means yesterday’s update covers cases identified in the 24 hours before 9am on Friday.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said nearly all coronavirus restrictions on people and businesses in Wales are set to be lifted on Saturday, August 7.

The area with the highest infection rate in Wales remains Wrexham with 313.3 cases per 100,000 people, up from 303.8. This is followed by Denbighshire with 307.2 and Conwy with 246.6.

The percentage of tests coming back positive across Wales over the past week is now 8.6%, up from 8.2% on Friday. Wrexham has almost double this at a rate of 15.4%.

As of July 15, there were 130 people across Wales in general and acute hospital beds with confirmed (80), suspected (16) or recovering (34) cases of coronavirus. This was down on the 141 the day before.

There are now 10 people with either confirmed or suspected Covid in an invasive ventilated bed – the highest form of treatment – up from nine.

To date, 2,281,644 people in Wales have had at least one coronavirus vaccine, with 1,918,345 having both doses.

Denbighshire reported the most new cases yesterday with 94, followed by Flintshire, Conwy and Wrexham with 82, Cardiff with 79, Bridgend with 71 and Rhondda Cynon Taf with 64.

Powys had 53, Swansea had 42, Caerphilly had 34, Newport had 29 while Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire both had 28.

Neath Port-Talbot reported 27, the Vale of Glamorgan reported 26, Torfaen had 25, Carmarthenshire had 23, Monmouthshire and Ceredigion had 15 and Merthyr Tydfil had 11. Anglesey had nine and Blaenau Gwent had eight.