Latest figures confirm no further deaths as Covid case rates continue to fall in Wales

Today’s figures from Public Health confirm no further deaths due to Covid-19 and 79 new cases of the virus.

According to PHW’s calculations, 5,550 people have died because of Covid since the start of the pandemic in March last year.

The daily figures released by PHW only include the deaths of a hospital patients or care home resident where Covid-19 has been confirmed with a positive laboratory test and the clinician suspects this was a causative factor in the death.

The Office for National Statistics also tracks data on the number of deaths caused by the virus and includes deaths when Covid-19 is mentioned by doctors on the death certificate and which occur in all settings – including hospitals, care homes, hospices and people’s homes.

Up to the week ending 16 April the ONS has recorded 7,846 deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate, 5,690 deaths above the five-year average including total deaths from all causes.

Changes

Due to recent changes to the way PHW reports data on the Covid pandemic, today’s update covers the 24 hours up to 9 am on Friday morning and because of the bank holiday the stats will not be updated again until Tuesday.

Cardiff (13) recorded the highest number of new cases up to Friday morning, followed by Swansea (9) and Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf (8).

Newport has the highest weekly case rate in the country at 25.2 per 100,000 people, unchanged since Friday’s report and the positive test rate at 2.4% per 100,000 tests is also the highest in Wales – but has fallen by .1% since Thursday.

The national weekly case rate is down from 11.3 to 10.8 and the test rate has fallen from 1.3% to 1.2.

In total, 1,854, 687 people have received a first dose of vaccine since the start of the mass vaccination programme on 8 December and 769,719 have had both doses and are fully vaccinated.

“We urge anyone over 50 who has not yet received an invite for their vaccination to contact their local health board. Details of which can be found here” Dr Eleri Davies, Incident Director for the Coronavirus outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said.

“We encourage everyone, whatever their background, social demographic and ethnicity, to have the vaccine when they are offered it.”