Eleven more people have died with coronavirus in Wales, according to latest figures from Public Health Wales.
The data, published on Monday, January 31 and covering a 48-hour period, shows 4,528 new positive cases to bring the total to 778,884.
The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive in Wales has now reached 6,823.
Read more: The huge Covid rule changes in Wales this week
The latest infection rate based on PCR tests, for the seven days up to January 25, now stands at 551.9 cases for every 100,000 people – up on the 527.8 recorded on Sunday. It is the seventh day in a row that the infection rate is reported to have risen.
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 highest infection rate in each Welsh local authority for the seven days between January 19 and January 25 was Newport with 927.1 cases per 100,000, followed by Carmarthenshire with 694.5 and Cardiff with 665.
Cardiff recorded the most positive cases over the latest 48-hour period with 547, followed by Swansea with 371, Carmarthenshire with 350 Newport with 320, Rhondda Cynon Taf with 304, Caerphilly with 252, Vale of Glamorgan with 216, Bridgend with 204 and Neath Port Talbot with 201.
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Local authorities reporting high numbers of cases included Wrexham with 195, Flintshire with 192, Torfaen with 172, Powys with 155, Pembrokeshire with 148, Denbighshire with 134, Conwy with 124, Gwynedd with 118 and Monmouthshire with 103.
The areas with the lowest cases were Blaenau Gwent with 84, Merthyr Tydfil with 82, Anglesey with 61 and Ceredigion with 45.
In the seven days to January 25 a total of 35.2% of PCR tests across Wales gave a positive result, an increase on the 34.5% reported on Sunday.
The highest positivity rates were in Newport (43.3%), Cardiff (39.9%), and Swansea (39.8%).
As of January 28 there were 1,083 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), a rise on the 1,072 on January 27. Within that data the number of confirmed Covid patients has dropped from 546 on January 27 to 527 on January 28.
There were 18 people in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19 on January 28. This was down on the 20 reported on January 27 and almost half the Omicron wave peak of 39 on January 5.
A total of 2,510,515 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,367,526 have been given two doses. Meanwhile, 1,832,484 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 25:
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 589.7 (up from 569.7)
Newport : 927.1 (up from 899.9)
Caerphilly : 599.2 (up from 571.6)
Torfaen : 655.6 (up from 614.1)
Monmouthshire : 380.6 (up from 368)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 391.6 (up from 340.4)
Anglesey: 344.1 (up from 325.5)
Gwynedd: 276.2 (up from 271.4)
Denbighshire: 470.2 (up from 431.6)
Flintshire: 377.3 (up from 358.1)
Wrexham: 592.8 (up from 575.2)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 665 (up from 627.4)
Vale of Glamorgan: 600.4 (up from 556.2)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 561.9 (down from 585.2)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 488.7 (up from 486.2)
Bridgend: 569.2 (up from 557.6)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 694.5 (up from 660.1)
Pembrokeshire: 418.1 (up from 327.8)
Ceredigion: 260 (up from 227)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 382.1 (up from 375.3)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 558.2 (down from 605.7)
Swansea: 642.1 (up from 580.6)
Wales total: 551.9 (up from 527.8 )
Separate data published today by the Office for National Statistics, which is not affected by changes to testing rules as it is based a random survey suggests cases have been falling rapidly in Wales since January 6. See the full story on that here.
Data published on lateral flow tests, which is updated weekly in Wales, show that there has been another slight increase in the number of positive tests. There were a total of 21,127 positive tests out of 383,048 tests carried out and registered in the week from January 17 to January 23. Swansea Bay again had the highest incidence rate.
First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed on Thursday night 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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