Eight more people have died with coronavirus in Wales according to latest figures published by Public Health Wales.
New data released on Friday, February 18, and covering a 24-hour period shows 1,260 new positive cases, bringing the total to 807,096.
The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive in Wales has now risen to 6,943.
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The latest infection rate based on PCR tests for the seven days up to February 13 now stands at 290.9 cases for every 100,000 people – a reduction from the 299.9 cases recorded on Thursday. Thursday was the first time the infection rate had gone below 300 since August 2021.
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 latest data on lateral flow tests, published on Thursday for the week to February 12, show there have been a further 16,905 positive test results reported. That's down from 18,690 the previous week. Positivity also decreased from 11.87% to 10.24%. The highest incidence rate was in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area with 680.2 positive tests for every 100,000 people.
The area of Wales with the highest infection rate for the seven days up to February 12 was Ceredigion with 467.7 followed by Carmarthenshire with 384.1 and Cardiff with 365.8.
Cardiff recorded the most positive cases over the latest 24-hour period with 180 followed by Swansea with 100, RCT with 87, Carmarthenshire with 83, Caerphilly with 72, and Neath Port Talbot with 70.
Meanwhile Vale of Glamorgan had 67 new cases, Flintshire had 55, Bridgend had 53, Newport had 52, Pembrokeshire had 47, Gwynedd had 45, and Conwy had 36.
The areas with the lowest new cases reported were Wrexham and Monmouthshire both with 35, Powys and Ceredigion both with 31, Torfaen with 30, Denbighshire with 29, Merthyr Tydfil with 23, Anglesey with 22, and Blaenau Gwent with 20.
In the seven days to February 13 a total of 27.1% of PCR tests across Wales gave a positive result, a fall on the 27.5% reported on Thursday. The highest positivity rates were in Ceredigion (31.8%), Cardiff (30.8%), and Swansea (30.5%).
As of February 17 there were 11 patients in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19. This was two less than reported on February 16 and way down on the Omicron wave peak of 39 on January 5.
New figures are also being published showing the number of people being specifically treated for Covid rather than testing positive for the virus but being in hospital for other reasons. As of February 11 out of 341 patients in acute hospitals with Covid there were only 94 people actively being treated for Covid in Wales.
A total of 2,517,543 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,379,805 have been given two doses. Meanwhile 1,888,191 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 February 13:
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 300.6 (down from 323.5)
Newport: 257.3 (down from 323.5)
Caerphilly: 221.5 (down from 229.2)
Torfaen: 293.7 (down from 327.8)
Monmouthshire: 287.6 (down from 289.8)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 265.4 (down from 268.8)
Anglesey: 248.4 (up from 241.3)
Gwynedd: 283.4 (down from 285)
Denbighshire: 261.2 (down from 272.7)
Flintshire: 286.4 (down from 309.4)
Wrexham: 275.1 (down from 292.7)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 365.8 (down from 369.6)
Vale of Glamorgan: 296.4 (down from 312.9)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 243.7 (down from 273.5)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 238.7 (up from 237.9)
Bridgend: 208.8 (down from 214.2)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 384.1 (down from 392.5)
Pembrokeshire: 282.9 (down from 294.1)
Ceredigion: 467.7 (down from 482.8)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 269.6 (up from 262.8)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 254 (down from 266.5)
Swansea: 298.8 (down from 310.5)
Wales total: 290.9 (down from 299.9)
The headlines from the latest ONS infection survey published at 2pm on Wednesday, February 16, suggest the percentage of people testing positive for Covid in Wales decreased during the week ending February 12.
It estimated 112,600 people in Wales, equivalent to one in 25, had Covid in the week ending February 12. In England it was one in 20 people. In Scotland one in 25 people had Covid in the same week, the same as Wales, while in Northern Ireland it was around one in 13.
The legal requirement to show a Covid pass to enter certain venues and events has now been lifted in Wales and from Monday, February 28, face coverings will no longer need to be worn in all indoor public places. Schools will be able to set their own rules from the same date. You can read the full list of changes here.
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