It feels like the pandemic has been going on forever.
No part of Wales has been unaffected by the pandemic but some parts have been significantly harder hit than others.
Throughout the crisis WalesOnline has reported on how the lived experience of Covid for people in Wales has been markedly different depending on where you live.
This investigation into being in lockdown in Cardiff's Butetown area demonstrated how much harder restrictions are when you are in a small flat, home schooling several children when they are educated in a language which you don't speak.
Going through the Public Health Wales Covid data it is clear that some parts of Cymru have had significantly higher Covid rates. Of the top 20 areas for the most Covid as a percentage of population, every single one is in the south of the country with most having significant pockets of deprivation.
The 20 areas with the most Covid per 100,000 of population were:
- Pentre-bach & Mountain Hare, Merthyr Tydfil - 23,594 cases per 100,000
- Cimla, Neath Port Talbot - 23,570.90
- Tonypandy West & Clydach Vale, Rhondda Cynon Taf - 23,488.00
- Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil - 23,031.30
- Sandfields, Neath Port Talbot - 22,861.80
- Llansamlet, Swansea - 22,740.90
- Glyncorrwg & Blaengwynfi, Neath Port Talbot - 22,504.90
- Tonyrefail West, Rhondda Cynon Taf - 22,397.40
- Cefncoedycymer, Heolgerrig & Park, Merthyr Tydfil - 22,330.90
- Pontardawe, Neath Port Talbot - 22,229.50
- Bon-y-maen, Swansea - 21,947.70
- Gurnos, Trefechan & Pontsticill, Merthyr Tydfil - 21,872.10
- Oakdale & Pen-twyn, Caerphilly - 21,809.90
- Maesteg East, Bridgend - 21,795.60
- Tonypandy East, Rhondda Cynon Taf - 21,772.20
- Tylorstown, Rhondda Cynon Taf - 21,766.30
- Rogerstone, Newport - 21,759.90
- Gelli-deg & Town, Merthyr Tydfil - 21,754.60
- Tonyrefail East, Rhondda Cynon Taf - 21,723.90
- Barry Island, The Vale of Glamorgan - 21,670.40
You can see the map for the whole of Wales here:
Why have some areas been affected so much more than others?
Though there are many, many variables driving Covid rates, poverty has been shown to be a key driver of infections.
As you can see from the maps below, areas with high poverty have been more likely to have Covid deaths:
There are a few things to bear in mind. The first this does not account for population size (though they are all roughly comparable). The second is that there are many ways to measure deprivation. The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation for example is published once every five years and looks at income levels, the health of residents, education levels, housing quality and access to services. We have just looked at income here with this map for simplicity.
RCT and Merthyr dominate the top of the list of areas with the most cases. However a WalesOnline investigation showed that this is not because people in that area are not following the rules.
However we know that the quality of housing also has a large impact because it limits how people can isolate. The quality of employment is also a factor because when people are on zero hours contracts they can often not afford to miss work.
Health is also a key issue. Since the pandemic began we have heard the phrase "underlying health condition" again and again. People in poorer areas tend to not have as good health compared to richer areas on average.
The three areas with the highest infection rates in each local authority
This is based on the weekly infection rates for the previous seven days per 100,000 people. The data is based on the rolling seven-day average between November 18 and November 24.
Anglesey
Holyhead 16,708.60
Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll & Menai Bridge 15,473.50
Llangefni 14,174.70
Blaenau Gwent
Sirhowy 21,565.90
Tredegar & Georgetown 20,842.80
Blaina & Nantyglo 20,446.90
Bridgend
Maesteg East 21,795.60
Caerau 20,624.40
Nant-y-moel, Ogmore Vale & Blackmill 20,209.00
Caerphilly
Oakdale & Pen-twyn 21,809.90
Pontllan-fraith 21,402.00
Hengoed & Maesycwmer 20,488.80
Cardiff
Canton 21,425.50
Caerau West 21,374.60
Pwll-mawr & St Mellons East 21,100.80
Carmarthenshire
Llandybie & Saron 19,148.90
Bynea & Llwynhendy 19,028.70
Llanelli Bigyn 18,910.50
Ceredigon
Cardigan & Aber-porth 11,827.00
Borth & Bont-goch 10,860.20
Aberystwyth South 10,667.90
Conwy
Kinmel Bay & Towyn 17,638.60
Colwyn Bay North 15,637.60
Upper Colwyn Bay 15,605.60
Denbighshire
Rhyl South West 20,635.80
Rhyl North 19,343.30
Prestatyn Central & East 18,317.40
Flintshire
Flint North East 20,049.00
Pen-y-ffordd & Higher Kinnerton 19,547.20
Flint South West 18,853.60
Gwynedd
Caernarfon East 21,055.10
Bethel & Llanrug 17,019.10
Bangor South 16,576.60
Merthyr Tydfil
Pentre-bach & Mountain Hare 23,594.00
Dowlais 23,031.30
Cefncoedycymer, Heolgerrig & Park 22,330.90
Monmouthshire
Magor & Rogiet 15,245.40
Usk, Goytre & Llangybi Fawr 14,850.20
Abergavenny South & Crucorney 14,807.70
Neath Port Talbot
Cimla 23,570.90
Sandfields 22,861.80
Glyncorrwg & Blaengwynfi 22,504.90
Newport
Rogerstone 21,759.90
Caerleon 20,125.90
Ringland 19,765.10
Pembrokeshire
Haverfordwest South 16,501.20
Milford Haven West 16,492.10
Haverfordwest North 14,627.30
Powys
Ystradgynlais & Tawe Uchaf 18,713.50
Brecon 15,833.30
Newtown North 14,914.50
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Tonypandy West & Clydach Vale 23,488.00
Tonyrefail West 22,397.40
Tonypandy East 21,772.20
Swansea
Llansamlet 22,740.90
Bon-y-maen 21,947.70
Cwmbwrla 21,352.80
Vale of Glamorgan
Barry Island 21,670.40
Llandough & Cogan 21,105.40
Barry East 20,152.90
Torfaen
Pontypool 21,288.80
Trefethin & Pen-y-garn 20,547.80
Griffithstown & Sebastopol 19,855.80
Wrexham
Acton & Maes-y-dre 21,459.70
Hermitage & Whitegate 21,213.20
Gwersyllt West & Summerhill 21,164.60
