Eighteen more people have died with coronavirus according to latest figures from Public Health Wales. New data published on Wednesday, March 30, and covering a 24-hour period, also show 1,745 new positive PCR test results to bring the total to 860,727.
The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test in Wales now stands at 7,144. The latest infection rate based on PCR tests for the seven days up to March 25 is 455.9 cases for every 100,000 people – a rise from the 451.5 cases recorded on Tuesday. However the rate of increase appears to be slowing.
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.
Read more: The reasons why Covid infection rates are rising again in Wales
In the seven days to March 25 a total of 39.2% of PCR tests across Wales gave a positive result – a rise on the 38.7% reported on Tuesday. The highest positivity rates were in Blaenau Gwent (46.5%), Monmouthshire (42.5%) and Torfaen (42.1%).
The highest infection rate (based on PCR tests) for the seven days up to March 25 was Blaenau Gwent with 727.1 cases per 100,000 population followed by Denbighshire with 527.7 and Vale of Glamorgan with 541.2.
Cardiff recorded the most positive cases over the latest 24-hour period with 201 followed by RCT with 159, Caerphilly with 100, Newport with 97, Swansea with 92, Bridgend with 92, Carmarthenshire with 91, Wrexham with 85, Torfaen with 84, Vale of Glamorgan with 83 and Flintshire with 80.
Meanwhile Neath Port Talbot had 79 new cases, Gwynedd had 67, Monmouthshire had 54, Powys had 53, Blaenau Gwent had 49, Conwy had 44, Denbighshire had 40, and Pembrokeshire had 36.
The local authorities with the lowest numbers of new cases included Merthyr Tydfil with 35, Anglesey with 33, and Ceredigion with 32.
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As of March 29 there were 17 patients in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19, down from 19 on March 28. Eight of them were based in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB), four were in Hywel Dda UHB, three were in Swansea Bay UHB, one was in Aneurin Bevan UHB and one was in Betsi Cadwaladr UHB.
Figures are also being published showing the number of people in hospital being specifically treated for Covid rather than testing positive for the virus but being in hospital for other reasons. They show that as of March 29 there were 784 patients in acute hospitals with confirmed Covid of whom 105 (13%) were being treated for the condition. That figure has fallen in the last week.
A total of 2,528,858 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,399,745 have been given two doses. Meanwhile 1,922,325 people have been given their booster jabs in Wales.
Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to March 25:
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 727.1 (up from 700)
Newport: 491.3 (up from 482.3)
Caerphilly: 444.6 (up from 443.5)
Torfaen: 503.4 (up from 487.4)
Monmouthshire: 489.5 (down from 513.8)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 347.3 (down from 350.7)
Anglesey: 472.6 (up from 452.6)
Gwynedd: 416.7 (up from 405.4)
Denbighshire: 527.7 (up from 514.1)
Flintshire: 464.4 (up from 462.5)
Wrexham: 500.9 (up from 492.8)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 483.2 (up from 476.7)
Vale of Glamorgan: 541.2 (up from 532.2)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 490.7 (up from 470.8)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 474.2 (down from 483.3)
Bridgend: 382.2 (up from 376.7)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 438.1 (down from 441.3)
Pembrokeshire: 483.2 (up from 474.5)
Ceredigion: 409.9 (down from 414.1)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 422.8 (up from 413)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 332.1 (up from 331.4)
Swansea: 334 (up from 332.8)
Wales total: 455.9 (up from 451.5 )
The latest data on lateral flow tests, for the week to March 20, shows a massive increase in positive tests. There were 30,712 positive test results reported in the last seven days. That's up substantially from 21,212 the previous week and the highest weekly figure ever recorded.
The Office for National Statistics infection survey, published on Friday, March 25, also shows cases are increasing rapidly. It estimates that 192,000 people in Wales - or around 1 in 16 - had Covid the week ending March 19. That is the same as in England while Scotland has the highest Covid rate with one in 11 people currently infected. One in 17 people in Northern Ireland are estimated to have it.
From Monday, March 28 people no longer have to wear masks in shops or on public transport in Wales, but they will still be needed in hospitals and health care settings. The Welsh Government has decided not to relax all restrictions - as it had hoped to do - as cases continue to rise in Wales.
The legal requirement to self-isolate has also been scrapped and instead people will be asked to stay inside if they test positive but it is no longer going to be the law. Businesses will still be asked to complete risk assessments.
Meanwhile on Monday sweeping changes to testing were announced by the Welsh Government which include:
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Wednesday, March 30, is the last day the public will be able to book a PCR test if they have symptoms;
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From Thursday, March 31, all PCR testing sites in Wales will close and free lateral flow tests to support regular asymptomatic testing in workplaces will end except for health and social care workers;
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Free lateral flow tests for the public for regular asymptomatic testing will end on Thursday, March 31;
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From Friday, April 1, if you have Covid symptoms you should use a lateral flow test to check whether you have Covid and from that date, only people eligible for Covid-19 treatments will be able to order PCR tests to be done at home;
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Routine asymptomatic testing in childcare and education settings, except special education provision, will stop on Friday, April 8.
To understand more about the consequences of this decision please go here.
