Wales has reported no new deaths related to coronavirus for the third time this week.
According to the data published by Public Health Wales on Sunday March 28, there were no Covid-19 related deaths in the latest 24-hour period (up to Saturday morning). This follows no new deaths reported on Monday and Tuesday this week.
There have been 171 new positive cases in the last 24-hour period, which brings the total number of people to have tested positive for coronavirus in Wales since the outbreak began to 209,066.
The total number of people to have died in the country within a month of testing positive for the virus now stands at 5,505.
The infection rate across Wales is now 37.8 per 100,000 people, based on the seven days up to March 23 - the rate is down slightly from 38.5 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the percentage of tests coming back with positive results is now 2.8%, below the key benchmark of 5%.
The latest figures, published on Sunday afternoon, also show that 1,387,583 have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 412,663 have had both doses.
Uptake of the first vaccine dose by priority group (according to PHW):
- Care home residents: 12,264 (96.2%)
- Care home workers: 33,442 (88.2%)
- Healthcare workers: 130,017 (91.2%)
- Social care workers: 43,205 (no percentage available)
- 80 years and older: 166,456 (94.9%)
- 75-79 years: 127,326 (95.5%)
- 70-74 years: 174,418 (94.9%)
- Clinically extremely vulnerable 16-69 years: 74,590 (91.4%)
- 65-69 years: 167,329 (92.8%)
- Clinical risk groups 16-64 years: 272,089 (77.7%)
- 60-64 years: 180,431 (87.8%)
- 55-59 years: 167,331 (71.7%)
- 50-54 years: 106,310 (46.7%)
Key details
- Deaths reported today: 0
- Cases reported today: 171 (down from 201)
- Total deaths with lab-confirmed coronavirus in Wales: 5,505
- Total number of people who have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine: 1,387,583
- Total number of people who have received a two-dose course of Covid-19 vaccine: 412,663
Swansea was the county with the highest number of new cases confirmed on Sunday with 28, followed by Cardiff with 24, Neath Port Talbot with 19, Anglesey with 11 and Gwynedd with 10.
All other counties had fewer than 10 new cases, including Torfaen, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil and Denbighshire with seven, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Conwy and Pembrokeshire with six, Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Vale of Glamorgan and Newport with four, Bridgend and Carmarthenshire with three, Wrexham with two, while Flintshire, Ceredigion and Powys all had one new case.
Cases per 100,000 based on seven-day rolling average (March 17 to March 23):
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 54.4 (down from 63.0)
Newport: 49.1 (unchanged)
Caerphilly: 37.0 (down from 40.3)
Torfaen: 20.2 (up from 19.2)
Monmouthshire: 21.1 (up from 20.1)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 41.8 (down from 51.2)
Anglesey: 114.2 (up from 98.5)
Gwynedd: 33.7 (up from 32.1)
Denbighshire: 19.9 (down from 21.9)
Flintshire: 57.7 (down from 62.1)
Wrexham: 23.5 (down from 24.3)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 32.2 (down from 33.8)
Vale of Glamorgan: 28.4 (down from 31.4)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 134.3 (down from 139.2)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 20.7 (down from 22.8)
Bridgend: 17.7 (up from 17.0)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 25.4 (down from 28.6)
Pembrokeshire: 23.0 (down from 24.6)
Ceredigion: 4.1 (unchanged)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 20.4 (unchanged)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 50.2 (up from 48.1)
Swansea: 62.3 (up from 53.8)
Wales total: 37.8 (down from 38.5)
Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: "Welsh Government has announced the lifting of the ‘stay local’ requirement from Saturday 27 March, and that self-contained holiday accommodation can open for those who live in Wales. 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 re-open.
“This slight easing of COVID-19 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.
“It is clear that Coronavirus has not gone away,
“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 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.
“If you are asked to self-isolate by your local TTP team then please ensure that you do so for the full ten days – this will help break any chains of transmission.
“We encourage everyone, whatever their background, social demographic and ethnicity, to have the vaccine when they are offered it."
