Fifteen more people have died with coronavirus, according to latest figures from Public Health Wales. New data published on Wednesday, March 23, and covering a 24-hour period, also show 1,877 new positive PCR test results to bring the total to 847,055.
The overall number of people who have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test in Wales now stands at 7,090. The latest infection rate based on PCR tests for the seven days up to March 18 is 416.1 cases for every 100,000 people – a rise from the 403 cases recorded on Tuesday. Yesterday was the first time the infection rate had gone above 400 since the seven days between January 31 and February 6.
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, for the week to March 13, also show an increase in positive tests. There were 21,212 positive test results reported in the last seven days. That's up substantially from 12,288 the previous week.
Read more: The reasons why Covid infection rates are rising again in Wales
Infection rates in every area of Wales have risen with the highest infection rate (based on PCR tests) for the seven days up to March 18 being Blaenau Gwent with 657 cases per 100,000 population followed by Vale of Glamorgan with 498.6 and Wrexham with 464.1.
Cardiff recorded the most positive cases over the latest 24-hour period with 245 followed by RCT with 141, Vale of Glamorgan with 108, Wrexham with 106, and Flintshire with 104.
Meanwhile Caerphilly and Camrmarthenshire had 93 new cases each, Pembrokeshire had 91, Gwynedd had 82, Blaenau Gwent had 80, Newport had 77, Swansea had 72, Denbighshire had 70, Anglesey had 63, Torfaen and Bridgend both had 57, Neath Port Talbot had 55, Ceredigion had 54 and Powys had 53.
The local authorities with the lowest numbers of new cases included Conwy with 49, Monmouthshire with 43, and Merthyr Tydfil with 20.
In the seven days to March 18 a total of 37.5% of PCR tests across Wales gave a positive result – a rise on the 37.1% reported on Tuesday. The highest positivity rates were in Blaenau Gwent (44%), RCT (40.6%) and Vale of Glamorgan (40.1%).
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As of March 22 there were 15 patients in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19, up from 14 on March 21. Six of them were based in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB), six were in Betsi Cadwaladr UHB, one was in Swansea Bay UHB, one was in Hywel Dda UHB and one was in Aneurin Bevan UHB. The fall in ICU numbers seen at the start of the year has stopped and fluctuated at around the same level for the last month.
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 22 there were 714 patients in acute hospitals with confirmed Covid of whom 1117 were being treated for the condition.
A total of 2,526,343 people have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 2,397,089 have been given two doses. Meanwhile 1,927,734 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 18:
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 657 (up from 639.8)
Newport: 435.7 (up from 426.1)
Caerphilly: 410.9 (up from 397.6)
Torfaen: 456.6 (up from 440.6)
Monmouthshire: 453.5 (up from 413.4)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 349 (up from 343)
Anglesey: 355.5 (up from 346.9)
Gwynedd: 444.8 (up from 438.3)
Denbighshire: 430.5 (up from 413.8)
Flintshire: 427.3 (up from 412.6)
Wrexham: 464.1 (up from 453.8)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 438.8 (up from 420.8)
Vale of Glamorgan: 498.6 (up from 494.8)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 316.6 (up from 278.5)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 455.1 (up from 435.6)
Bridgend: 328.5 (up from 315.5)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 414.8 (up from 401.5)
Pembrokeshire: 426.8 (up from 425.2)
Ceredigion: 455.3 (up from 448.4)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 357.2 (down from 369.2)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 308.4 (up from 295.2)
Swansea: 315.8 (up from 298)
Wales total: 416.1 (up from 403 )
On Tuesday health minister Eluned Morgan warned that the BA.2 subtype of Omicron, which is more transmissible and faster-moving than the original Omicron variant, is behind the spike in cases in Wales. "We believe the clinical severity of the BA.2 subtype is similar to the original variant of Omicron, which thankfully for most people will mean they will experience mild symptoms. But this doesn't mean that everyone will have a mild illness," she said. "We are watching the levels of illness in older people very carefully. And there has been a spike in hospital admissions in all age groups over the last couple of weeks."
First Minister Mark Drakeford announced earlier this month that all legal Covid measures in Wales could be removed by March 28. He said Wales will remain at alert level zero for the time being but legal requirements could go following a review on March 24 if the public health situation remains "stable".
If it does it means that on March 28 it will no longer be compulsory to wear face coverings in shops, on public transport, or in healthcare settings from that date and self-isolation will not be required by law. However plans for similar measures in Scotland to take effect from March 21 have now been pushed back due to a rise in Covid cases. And on Tuesday Mr Drakeford cast doubt on the remaining laws in Wales being allowed to lapse before the end of March, saying the Welsh Government faced a "challenging decision".
The First Minister told BBC Wales: "Up until last week we had more or less eight weeks in a row with the numbers moving in the right direction and that formed the backcloth to the hope that on March 28 we could lift all restrictions." But he said all options had to remain on the table with a decision due later in the week.
