Ten more people have died with coronavirus, according to latest figures from Public Health Wales. New data published on Friday, April 1, and covering a 24-hour period, also shows 1,438 new positive PCR test results to bring the total since the pandemic began to 863,544.
The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test in Wales now stands at 7,172. The latest infection rate based on PCR tests for the seven days up to March 27 is 443.6 cases for every 100,000 people – a fall from the 451.7 cases recorded on Thursday. It's the second day in a row that the infection rate has fallen.
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: What are the rules on Covid testing? When should you send children to school? How can you get tests?
The latest data on lateral flow tests, for the week to March 27, shows an increase in positive tests. There were 32,465 positive test results reported in the last seven days. That's up from 30,712 the previous week and the highest weekly figure ever recorded. The episode positivity rate increased from 22.83% in the previous week to 24.37% in the latest reporting week. Powys Teaching Health Board recorded the highest incidence rate of 1,135.1 positive testing episodes per 100,000 population.
In the seven days to March 27 a total of 39.2% of PCR tests across Wales gave a positive result – a fall on the 39.3% reported on Thursday. The highest positivity rates were in Blaenau Gwent (45.8%), Torfaen (43.1%), and Cardiff (41.9%). The highest infection rate (based on PCR tests) for the seven days up to March 26 was Blaenau Gwent with 701.4 cases per 100,000 population followed by Vale of Glamorgan with 526.2 and Merthyr Tydfil with 523.8.
Rhondda Cynon Taf recorded the most positive cases over the latest 24-hour period with 120 followed by Cardiff with 118, Caerphilly with 110, Flintshire with 86, Newport with 77, Swansea with 74, Carmarthenshire with 67, Bridgend with 61, and Conwy with 60.
Meanwhile Pembrokeshire had 59 new cases, Gwynedd had had 58, Vale of Glamorgan had 57, Blaenau Gwent had 56, Wrexham had 55, Torfaen had 51, Denbighshire had 48, Neath Port Talbot had 44, and Monmouthshire had 42. The local authorities with the lowest case numbers were Powys with 36, Ceredigion with 35, Anglesey with 29, and Merthyr Tydfil with 28.
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As of March 31 there were 17 patients in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19 – the same amount as the day before. 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, and two were 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 31 there were 714 patients in acute hospitals with confirmed Covid of whom 103 (14%) were being treated for the condition. That figure has fallen in the last week.
A total of 2,529,753 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,400,101 have been given two doses. Meanwhile 1,940,036 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 27:
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 701.4 (down from 710)
Newport: 465.5 (down from 480.4)
Caerphilly: 429.7 (down from 446.2)
Torfaen: 503.4 (up from 492.8)
Monmouthshire: 458.8 (down from 476.8)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 351.5 (down from 352.4)
Anglesey: 479.7 (down from 486.8)
Gwynedd: 408.6 (down from 417.5)
Denbighshire: 520.4 (down from 527.7)
Flintshire: 429.9 (down from 447.8)
Wrexham: 479.6 (down from 490.6)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 478.1 (down from 481.6)
Vale of Glamorgan: 526.2 (down from 538.2)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 523.8 (up from 508.9)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 456.8 (down from 469.6)
Bridgend: 383.5 (up from 380.8)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 422.7 (down from 434.4)
Pembrokeshire: 448.3 (down from 468.1)
Ceredigion: 392 (up from 389.9)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 402.5 (down from 416.8)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 339.1 (up from 337.7)
Swansea: 324.7 (down from 329.2)
Wales total: 443.6 (down from 451.7 )
The Office for National Statistics infection survey, published on Friday, April 1, shows cases are increasing. It estimates that 212,000 people in Wales – or around 1 in 14 – had Covid the week ending March 26. In England it was one in 13, in Scotland it was one in 12, and Northern Ireland it was one in 15.
Since Monday, March 28, people no longer have to wear masks in shops or on public transport in Wales but they are still needed in hospitals and healthcare settings. The Welsh Government decided not to relax all restrictions on that date, as it had hoped to do, as cases continued to rise in Wales.
The legal requirement to self-isolate has also been scrapped and instead people are now asked to stay inside if they test positive but it is no longer the law that they must do so. Businesses must still 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, was the last day the public were able to book a PCR test if they have symptoms of the virus;
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From Thursday, March 31, all PCR testing sites in Wales were closed and free lateral flow tests to support regular asymptomatic testing in workplaces ended except for health and social care workers;
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Free lateral flow tests for the public for regular asymptomatic testing ended 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.
