Three new cases the Omicron Covid variant in Wales have been confirmed.
Public Health Wales shared the news after the cases were identified in the Cardiff and Vale area. This brings the total in Wales to four cases.
This comes after Health Minister Eluned Morgan predicted "hundreds if not thousands" of Welsh Omicron cases over coming weeks.
Read all the latest Coronavirus news here.
Public Health Wales issued a statement on Monday, December 6, regarding the new cases.
Dr Meng Khaw, National Director for Health Protection and Screening Services for Public Health Wales, said:
“Public Health Wales is today (Monday 6 December) confirming a further three cases of the Omicron variant in Wales, bringing the total to four cases.
“The cases are in the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board area. Two of the new cases are linked with travel or are close contacts, and a third is under investigation.
“As we have said previously, an increase in cases of Omicron variant in Wales is to be expected.”
A further six people have died with coronavirus in Wales according to the latest figures from Public Health Wales.
New data published which covers the 48-hour period up to 9am on December 5 shows the total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test in Wales now stands at 6,439.
There were also 4,405 new positive cases recorded in the latest update bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 523,118.
The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales, based on the cases for every 100,000 people (for the seven days up to November 29) now stands at 484.2 – a rise from the 471.9 reported on Sunday.
The next Welsh Government review can be expected on Friday, December 10.
News of increased cases of Omicron in Wales came as UK Government minister Sajid Javid told MPs there is now “community transmission across multiple regions of England”.
England's Health Secretary told the House of Commons the mutant strain "is continuing to spread" and there are now 261 confirmed cases in England, 71 in Scotland and four in Wales - bringing the UK total to 336.
He said: “This includes cases with no links to international travel. So, we can conclude that there is now community transmission across multiple regions of England.”
His statement in the Commons came as Nigeria was placed on the travel red list amid fears Omicron was spreading rapidly overseas.
Mr Javid said the Government is taking “early action now so we don’t have to take tougher action later on”.
