A further 23 people have died with coronavirus in Wales, according to latest figures from Public Health Wales.
The data, published on Wednesday, January 19, and covering a 24-hour period up to 9am on January 18, shows 2,136 new positive cases to bring the total to 748,708.
The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive in Wales has now reached 6,731.
The latest figures for the Office for National Statistics to January 12 show that the rate Covid is spreading in Wales is clearly falling. This is based on population sampling and is not affected by changes to testing rules. In Wales, almost one in 25 people had Covid in Wales in the last week- lower than in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The ONS estimated that 169,100 people in Wales, equivalent to one in 20, had Covid in the previous week.
The headlines indicate the percentage of people testing positive for Covid increased rapidly in the run-up to Christmas, but slowed up during the first week of January and is now dropping dramatically.
The latest infection rate based on PCR tests, based on the seven days up to January 14 is 529.7 cases for every 100,000 people – which is down on the 572 recorded on Tuesday.
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 8 and January 14 was Neath Port Talbot with 664.3 cases per 100,000 followed by Newport with 641.3 and Wrexham with 632.6.
Cardiff recorded the most positive cases over the latest 24-hour period with 308, followed by Newport with 192, Carmarthenshire with 161, Caerphilly with 152, Neath Port Talbot with 144, RCT with 129 and Swansea with 119.
Meanwhile Flintshire had 100 new cases, Torfaen had 96, Bridgend had 89, Vale of Glamorgan had 81, Merthyr Tydfil had 64, Blaenau Gwent had 60 and Wrexham had 59.
The lowest number of cases were found in Monnouthshire with 56, Powys with 43, Denbighshire and Pembrokeshire both with 40, Conwy with 36, Anglesey with 35, Gwynedd with 27 and Ceredigion with 16.
The percentage of tests coming back positive is also falling. In the seven days to January 14, a total of 35.3% of tests across Wales gave a positive result, down from 35.8% reported on Tuesday.
The highest positivity rates were in Anglesey (40.3%), Neath Port Talbot (39.5%), and Swansea (38.6%).
As of January 18 there were 1,056 people in general and acute hospital beds with coronavirus (confirmed, suspected, and recovering), a drop on the 1,117 on January 17. Within that data, the number of confirmed Covid patients has fallen from 691 on January 17 to 643 on January 18.
There were 25 people in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19 on January 18. 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 2,502,979 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,346,551 have been given both doses. Meanwhile 1,792,022 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 14
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 619.8 (down from 700)
Newport: 641.3 (down from 667.2)
Caerphilly: 560 (down from 594.2)
Torfaen: 510.9 (down from 551.3)
Monmouthshire: 466.2 (down from 491.6)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 523.9 (down from 558)
Anglesey: 481.1 (down from 544)
Gwynedd: 375.7 (down from 414.3)
Denbighshire: 477.6 (down from 513.1)
Flintshire: 409.4 (down from 465.7)
Wrexham: 632.6 (down from 665.7)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 570.7 (down from 600.7)
Vale of Glamorgan: 411.7 (down from 465.6)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 540.4 (down from 590.1)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 530.5 (down from 577)
Bridgend: 527.7 (down from 591.6)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 617.1 (down from 651.1)
Pembrokeshire: 399 (down from 436.3)
Ceredigion: 331.5 (down from 360.4)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 399.4 (down from 459.8)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 664.3 (down from 696.4)
Swansea: 591.9 (down from 643.3)
Wales total: 529.7 (down from 572)
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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