A further three people have died with coronavirus in Wales as the infection rate shoots up to over 700 cases per 100,000 population.
New data from Public Health Wales published on Boxing Day - and covering the 24 hours up to 9am on December 24 - shows 5,335 new positive cases to bring the overall total to 582,378.
The total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test has now risen to 6,548 in Wales.
Read more: The full list of Covid rules coming into force in Wales from Boxing Day
The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales, based on the seven days up to December 20, has risen nearly 60 to 724.9 cases per 100,000 population. On Christmas Eve it was 662.3 per 100,000 population and just a week ago the figure stood at 501.3.
The local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales is Cardiff followed by Anglesey and the Vale of Glamorgan.
The test positivity rate across Wales is at 22%, up from the 20.3% reported on Friday.
The areas of the country recording the highest numbers of new Covid cases in the latest 24-hour period are Cardiff with 761, followed by Rhondda Cynon Taf with 372, Swansea with 338, Newport with 267, Conwy with 252, Bridgend with 242 and Carmarthenshire with 234.
Elsewhere, Flintshire had 229, Caerphilly had 223, Torfaen had 222, Gwynedd and the Vale of Glamorgan had 211, Wrexham had 202, Powys had 159, Denbighshire had 157, Pembrokeshire had 156 and Anglesey had 140.
Counties in Wales which recorded the fewest new cases were Neath Port Talbot with 115, Monmouthshire with 106, Ceredigion with 101, Merthyr Tydfil with 99 and Blaenau Gwent with 49.
As of December 22, there were 444 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), a rise on the 436 last reported the day before.
There were 31 people in ventilated intensive care beds with Covid-19 on December 22, two more than on December 21.
In terms of vaccinations, figures have not been updated on Boxing Day. They show that 2,486,737 people had received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,296,242 had been given both doses. Meanwhile, 1,490,668 people have been given their booster jabs in Wales. The Welsh Government wants all eligible adults to be offered one by the end of December.
Uptake of the first vaccine dose by priority group (according to PHW):
- Severely immunosuppressed: 99.2%
- Care home residents: 98.3%
- Care home workers: 94.7%
- 80 years and older: 96.2%
- Healthcare workers: 97.3%
- Social care workers: 45,447
- 75-79 years: 97%
- 70-74 years: 96.5%
- Clinically extremely vulnerable 16-69 years: 95.5%
- 65-69 years: 95.3%
- Clinical risk groups 12-64 years: 90.4%
- 60-64 years: 93.7%
- 55-59 years: 92%
- 50-54 years: 90.3%
- 40-49 years: 85.5%
- 30-39 years: 79.5%
- 18-29 years: 79.2%
- 16-17 years: 77.7%
- 12-15 years: 56.9%
Uptake of the second vaccine dose by priority group (according to PHW):
Severely immunosuppressed: 89%
- Care home residents: 97.2%
- Care home workers: 92.5%
- 80 years and older: 95.6%
- Healthcare workers: 96.1%
- Social care workers: 45,886
- 75-79 years: 96.5%
- 70-74 years: 95.9%
- Clinically extremely vulnerable 16-69 years: 94.1%
- 65-69 years: 94.5%
- Clinical risk groups 12-64 years: 87.1%
- 60-64 years: 92.7%
- 55-59 years: 90.8%
- 50-54 years: 88.6%
- 40-49 years: 83%
- 30-39 years: 75.2%
- 18-29 years: 72.6%
- 16-17 years: 54.3%
- 12-15 years: 4.5%
Uptake of booster vaccines (according to PHW):
- Care home residents: 86.9%
- Care home workers: 71.5%
- 80 years and older: 85.9%
- Healthcare workers: 81.6%
- Social care workers: 37,888
- 75-79 years: 88.2%
- 70-74 years: 88%
- Clinically extremely vulnerable 16-69 years: 52.3%
- 65-69 years: 85.5%
- Clinical risk groups 12-64 years: 65.7%
- 60-64 years: 79%
- 55-59 years: 72.6%
- 50-54 years: 65.8%
- 40-49 years: 49.9%
- 30-39 years: 30.8%
- 18-29 years: 20.9%
- 16-17 years: 6.2%
Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to December 20:
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 499.6 (unchanged)
Newport: 723.4 (up from 669.8)
Caerphilly: 640.6 (up from 594.8)
Torfaen: 656.7 (up from 619.4)
Monmouthshire: 752.7 (up from 697.7)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 640.8 (up from 566.5)
Anglesey: 969.4 (up from 903.7)
Gwynedd: 674.4 (up from 615)
Denbighshire: 762.8 (up from 721)
Flintshire: 748.2 (up from 702.1)
Wrexham: 698 (up from 628.9)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 1,017.4 (up from 908.1)
Vale of Glamorgan: 850.4 (up from 780)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 661.4 (up from 610)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 680.2 (up from 636.6)
Bridgend: 701.8 (up from 639.2)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 505.4 (up from 481.5)
Pembrokeshire: 643 (up from 544.4)
Ceredigion: 590.1 (up from 484.2)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 553.5 (up from 511.2)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 646.1 (up from 591.7)
Swansea: 756.7 (up from 680.2)
Wales total: 724.9 (up from 662.3)
The Welsh Government has reintroduced tighter restrictions in the wake of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
The regulations bring back stricter measures for hospitality businesses, including licensed premises, and in cinemas and theatres when they re-open after the festive period.
From Boxing Day, the alert level two measures will mean:
A general requirement of 2m social distancing in all premises open to the public and workplaces, where reasonable.
The rule of six will apply to gatherings in regulated premises, such as hospitality, cinemas and theatres.
All licensed premises will need to take additional measures to protect customers and staff, including table service and collecting contact details.
Face coverings will be required in hospitality settings at all times apart from when seated.
Large events will not be allowed indoors or outdoors. The maximum number of people who can gather at an indoor event will be 30 and 50 outdoors.
There will be an exception for team sports, up to 50 spectators will be able to gather, in addition to those taking part. There is also an exception for events involving children.
Last week new measures were announced for workplaces and retail – these will now come into force on Boxing Day. Nightclubs will also close on Boxing Day.
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