Positive Covid test rates in Wales fall to levels last seen in early September

The proportion of people testing positive for Covid-19 in Wales has fallen to levels last seen in early September, according to the latest figures from Public Health Wales.

The weekly test rate is calculated as a percentage of positive results per 100,000 tests and today’s figures have confirmed a drop from 3% to 2.8% since yesterday’s report, the lowest since the week ending 13 September.

Merthyr Tydfil has the highest rate in Wales at 7.3%, a drop of .3% since yesterday, while Ceredigion has recorded just three cases in the last seven days and has the lowest positive test rate at just 0.5%.

Swansea (28) recorded the highest number of new cases in Wales over the last 24 hours followed by Cardiff (24), Neath Port Talbot (19), Anglesey (11) and Gwynedd (10).

The new cases in Anglesey have taken the weekly case rate there back over 100 cases per 100,000 people.

Merthyr continues to have the highest seven-day case rate at 134.3, down from 139. 2 per 100,000 people yesterday. Anglesey’s weekly rate is the second highest at 114.2.

The national case rate is 38.2, a drop of .3 since yesterday’s report.

There were no further deaths recorded by PHW in the last 24 hours, meaning the total since the pandemic began remains 5,505.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics earlier in the week estimate that up to the week ending 12 March there have been 7,717 deaths involving Covid in Wales, 19.6% of all deaths recorded.

Deaths counted by the ONS are 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.

The daily figures released by Public Health Wales 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.

On Friday, the ONS confirmed Wales currently has the lowest Covid infection rate of all the UK nations.

For the week ending 20 March they calculated that 6,700 people in Wales had coronavirus, equating to around 1 in 450 people.

In England, the proportion of people testing positive equated to around 1 in 340 people.

The figures in Northern Ireland estimated around 1 in 320 people had the virus over the seven days covered and in Scotland it was 1 in 240.

“Welsh Government has announced the lifting of the ‘stay local’ requirement from Saturday 27 March, and that self-contained holiday accommodation can open for those who live in Wales,” Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Covid-19 outbreak response at Public Health Wales said.

“People should stay within the borders of Wales unless for essential travel such as work or education.

“In addition, six people from two households are able to meet outdoors, organised outdoors activities for children under 18 can resume, and libraries can re-open.”

“This slight easing of COVID-19 lockdown rules is encouraging however, we need to be very clear that Coronavirus has not gone away,” he added.

“While the number of cases is declining overall, there are still several areas which have higher rates and there are still a large number of people who have not been vaccinated.  In order to protect everyone, including the most vulnerable, we must all stick to the rules.

‘Constant vigilance’

“Everyone must maintain constant vigilance by keeping 2m apart from people that you don’t live with, practising hand hygiene and wearing a mask in indoor environments.

“It is clear that Coronavirus has not gone away,

“Welsh Government restrictions state that you should not go into any other household or mix indoors with other people who you don’t live with.

“If you are contacted by your local TTP team then it is important that you are truthful with them about where you have been and who you have met.  They are not there to judge they are there to help prevent ongoing transmission of the virus and to protect the community.

“If you are asked to self-isolate by your local TTP team then please ensure that you do so for the full ten days as this will help break any chains of transmission.”