Eight more people have died with coronavirus in Wales, according to latest figures.
The data from Public Health Wales, published on Friday, February 4 and covering a 24-hour period, shows 2,606 new positive cases to bring the total to 787,417.
The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive in Wales rises to 6,852.
Read more: Cases of new Omicron ‘stealth variant’ detected in Wales
The latest infection rate based on PCR tests, for the seven days up to January 30, now stands at 521.5 cases for every 100,000 people – a reduction from the 537.1 recorded on Thursday.
The infection rate based on PCR tests is only a guide to the spread of Covid in Wales as it does not include lateral flow test results, which are reported weekly in Wales. People with no symptoms who test positive on an LFT no longer need a confirmatory PCR test.
The latest data on lateral flow tests, published on Thursday for the week to January 30, show there have been a further 26,361 positive test results reported. That's up from 21,127 the previous week. Positivity also increased to 11.87% . The highest incidence rate was in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area of 778.8 positive tests for every 100,000 people.
The highest infection rate in each Welsh local authority for the seven days between January 24 and January 30 was Newport with 806.8 cases per 100,000, followed by Carmarthenshire with 659.5 and Vale of Glamorgan with 604.1.
Cardiff recorded the most positive cases over the latest 24-hour period with 351, followed by Swansea with 238, Carmarthenshire with 197, RCT with 143, Newport with 134, Caerphilly with 133, Neath Port Talbot with 124, Wrexham with 123 and Vale of Glamorgan and Flintshire both with 108.
Meanwhile Pembrokeshire had 99 new cases, Powys had 97, Gwynedd had 89, Bridgend had 85, Conwy had 84, Denbighshire had 75 and Torfaen had 72.
The areas with the lowest cases were Monmouthshire with 63, Anglesey with 56, Blaenau Gwent with 51, Ceredigion with 49 and Merthyr Tydfil with 42.
In the seven days to January 30 a total of 34.1% of PCR tests across Wales gave a positive result, a fall on the 34.5% reported on Thursday.
The highest positivity rates were in Newport (40.7%), Swansea (38.7%), and Cardiff (38.2%).
As of February 3 there were 1,110 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), a rise on the 1,105 on January February 2. Within that data the number of confirmed Covid patients had risen from 521 on February 2 to 534 on February 3.
There were 13 people in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19 on February 3. This was the same amount as reported on February 2 but less than third of the Omicron wave peak of 39 on January 5.
A total of 2,512,220 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,370,157 have been given two doses. Meanwhile, 1,844,501 people have been given their booster jabs in Wales. The Welsh Government has confirmed that all eligible adults were offered one by the end of December.
Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to January 30:
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 515.3 (down from 546.8)
Newport : 806.8 (down from 830.8)
Caerphilly : 548.4 (down from 567.2)
Torfaen : 593.9 (down from 640.7)
Monmouthshire : 398.6 (down from 409.1)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 424.1 (down from 436.8)
Anglesey: 366.9 (up from 365.5)
Gwynedd: 308.3 (up from 285.8)
Denbighshire: 471.3 (down from 480.7)
Flintshire: 390.1 (unchanged)
Wrexham: 561.9 (down from 577.4)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 603.2 (down from 625.2)
Vale of Glamorgan: 604.1 (down from 615.3)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 508.9 (down from 555.3)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 461.7 (down from 471.3)
Bridgend: 522.3 (down from 537.9)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 659.5 (down from 671.2)
Pembrokeshire: 411.7 (down from 430)
Ceredigion: 262.7 (down from 264.1)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 387.4 (down from 390.4)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 480.8 (down from 512.9)
Swansea: 603.3 (down from 628)
Wales total: 521.5 (down from 537.1 )
The headlines from the latest ONS infection survey published at 2pm on Wednesday, February 2, suggest that the percentage of people testing positive for Covid in Wales has increased again during the week ending January 29.
It estimates 139,100 people in Wales, equivalent to one in 20, had Covid in the week ending January 29, the same percentage as in England. That's a jump of more than 1% compared to the previous week. Meanwhile, Scotland is estimated to have the lowest Covid rates, with one in 30 people having had Covid in the same week, while in Northern Ireland, it's around one in 15.
First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed a week ago that Wales has now moved fully to alert level zero.
It means:
- Nightclubs can re-open
- The 2m social distancing in all premises open to the public and workplaces is removed
- The rule of six will no longer apply to gatherings in regulated premises, such as hospitality, cinemas and theatres
- Licensed premises will no longer need to only provide table service and collect contact details.
- Working from home will remain important but it will no longer be a legal requirement
- Businesses, employers and other organisations must continue to undertake a specific coronavirus risk assessment and take reasonable measures to minimise the spread of coronavirus, which may include 2m social distancing or controlled entry.
The Covid pass will continue to be required to enter larger indoor events, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres and concert halls.
It was also announced that people in Wales will be able to leave self-isolation after five full days providing they have two consecutive negative lateral flow tests on day five and six, 24 hours apart.
The next three-weekly review of the coronavirus regulations will be carried out by February 11 when the Welsh Government will review all the measures at alert level zero.
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