One more person has died with coronavirus in Wales, according to latest figures from Public Health Wales.
The data, published on Tuesday, January 18, and covering a 24-hour period up to 9am on January 17, shows 1,857 new positive cases to bring the total to 746,572.
The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive in Wales has now reached 6,708.
The latest infection rate, based on the seven days up to January 13 is 572 cases for every 100,000 people – which is down on the 650.2 recorded on Monday.
However, daily drops are expected as the change to testing rules filters through into the weekly infection rate. Anyone who has a positive lateral flow test, but does not have symptoms, will no longer need to take a PCR test to confirm they have Covid which will impact testing figures.
The highest infection rate in each Welsh local authority for the seven days between January 7 and January 13 was Blaenau Gwent with 700 cases per 100,000 followed by Neath Port Talbot with 696.4 and Wrexham with 665.7.
Cardiff recorded the most positive cases over the latest 24-hour period with 266, followed by Swansea with 189, Carmarthenshire with 141, Newport with 120, RCT with 114, and Neath Port Talbot with 113.
Meanwhile Caerphilly had 110 new cases, Bridgend had 101, Wrexham had 95, Vale of Glamorgan had 65, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen both had 54, and Pembrokeshire had 52.
The lowest number of cases were found in Flintshire and Conwy both with 46, Gwynedd with 41, Powys with 40, Monmouthshire with 39, Denbighshire with 38, Merthyr Tydfil with 36 and Ceredigion and Anglesey both with 18.
The percentage of tests coming back positive is also falling. In the seven days to January 12, a total of 35.8% of tests across Wales gave a positive result, down from 37% reported on Monday.
The highest positivity rates were in Anglesey (40.3%), Swansea (40%), and Neath Port Talbot (39%).
As of January 17 there were 1,117 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), a drop on the 1,119 on January 14. Within that data, the number of confirmed Covid patients has fallen from 820 on January 14 to 691 on January 17.
There were 26 people in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19 on January 17. This has now fallen back over several days from an Omicron wave peak of 39 people with confirmed Covid in ventilated intensive care beds on January 5.
A total of 2,502,295 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,345,081 have been given both doses. Meanwhile 1,787,636 people have been given their booster jabs in Wales. The Welsh Government has confirmed that all eligible adults were offered one by the end of December.
Infection rate for every 100,000 people in each area for the seven days up to January 13
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 700 (down from 722.9)
Newport: 667.2 (down from 737)
Caerphilly: 594.2 (down from 688.1)
Torfaen: 551.3 (down from 609.8)
Monmouthshire: 491.6 (down from 508.5)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 558 (down from 656.1)
Anglesey: 544 (down from 613.9)
Gwynedd: 414.3 (down from 496.1)
Denbighshire: 513.1 (down from 574.7)
Flintshire: 465.7 (down from 573.4)
Wrexham: 665.7 (down from 751)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 600.7 (down from 671.6)
Vale of Glamorgan: 465.6 (down from 536.7)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 590.1 (down from 673)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 577 (down from 688)
Bridgend: 591.6 (down from 673.2)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 651.1 (down from 704)
Pembrokeshire: 436.3 (down from 482.4)
Ceredigion: 360.4 (down from 414.1)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 459.8 (down from 540.6)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 696.4 (down from 785)
Swansea: 643.3 (down from 746.6)
Wales total: 572 (down from 650.2)
The headlines from the latest ONS infection survey published at 2pm on Wednesday, January 12, suggest that the percentage of people testing positive for Covid had increased slightly between December 28 and January 3, after a rapid rise in the run-up to Christmas.
It estimates 169,100 people in Wales, equivalent to one in 20, had Covid in the first week of January, the same percentage as Scotland and Northern Ireland. It estimates one in 15 in England had Covid that week.
On Saturday, January 15 Wales began returning to alert level zero measures as part of a two-week plan set out by the First Minister.
Mark Drakeford announced that the measures will be phased in, starting with the number of people who can be present at an outdoor event rising from 50 to 500 on January 15.
The next phase of lifted restrictions is timetabled for January 21, where crowds will be able to return to large sporting events. This will be followed by nightclubs reopening on January 28 and the rule of six and table service in hospitality being scrapped.
Meanwhile from January 28, working from home will remain "important" and part of the Welsh Government guidance but will no longer be a legal requirement.
The Welsh Government warned that the full move to alert level zero will be dependent on the public health situation continuing to improve.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "I want to thank everyone for following the rules we have had in place since Boxing Day to help keep Wales safe while the fast-moving Omicron variant has surged through our communities.
"I also want to thank everyone involved in our vaccination programme for the enormous efforts to give almost a third of the population a booster since the start of December – this has been vital in increasing our protection against Omicron.
"The actions we have taken together have helped us to weather the Omicron storm. The latest data suggests some positive signs that the peak may have passed. We can now look more confidently to the future and plan to start gradually removing the alert level two restrictions, starting with the outdoors measures.
"But the pandemic is not over. We will closely monitor the public health situation – this is a fast-moving and volatile variant which could change suddenly. I urge everyone to continue to follow the rules and have your vaccines to keep Wales safe."
If conditions allow, the alert level two restrictions will be removed in a phased approach.
From Friday, January 21 Wales would move to alert level zero for all outdoor activities. This means there will be no limits on the number of people who can take part in outdoor activities:
- Crowds will be able to return to outdoor sporting events;
- Outdoor hospitality would be able to operate without additional reasonable measures;
- The Covid Pass will be required for entry to larger outdoor events.
If the downward trend continues, from Friday, January 28 Wales would move to alert level zero for all indoor activities:
- Nightclubs will be able to re-open;
- Working from home would remain important but it would no longer be a legal requirement;
- Businesses, employers and other organisations must undertake a specific coronavirus risk assessment and take reasonable measures to minimise the spread of coronavirus;
- The Covid Pass will be required for entry to nightclubs, events, cinemas, concert halls and theatres;
- The rule of six, table service and two-metre physical distancing no longer required in hospitality.
The self-isolation rules for all those who test positive for Covid and the face covering rules for most public indoor places will remain in force after January 28.
The three-weekly cycle would be re-introduced from February 10, when the Welsh Government will review all remaining measures at alert level zero.
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