For two years WalesOnline has brought you the latest Covid data throughout the pandemic.
Everyday we exampled how many new cases and deaths there were and once a week we would assess the areas of Wales with the highest infection rate as well as the local authorities that is growing fastest. It was crucial to the public's understanding of how the virus was developing and changing across Wales. But this has now ended.
The Welsh Government recently announced huge changes to testing in Wales. This will have massive and far reaching consequences throughout the country which you can read about here. One of the key elements is that the daily data will be largely useless now for understanding how the virus is developing. Comparisons with previous waves will be impossible and the surveillance for new variants will be significantly reduced. As such this will likely be the last proper snapshot we have (unless there is a major policy change) before the Welsh Government turns off the light.
Read more: The huge consequences of the Welsh Government's major Covid testing announcement
What are the areas in Wales with the most Covid at present?
There are nine areas of Wales with a Covid infection rate above 600. There is one place with virtually no Covid which was Llandovery, Cil-y-cwm & Cynwyl Gaeo in Carmarthenshire. The data is the numbers for areas with an average of 7,000 residents, called middle super output areas (MSOA). In practice this means there are statistics for areas like Canton in Cardiff, Morriston in Swansea, and Porth in Rhondda. The data shows there are 12 places in Wales with more than 700 cases per 100,000 of the population.
The areas with the most cases at the moment are as follows for the last rolling seven days up to March 31 :
- Taff's Well & Nantgarw, Rhondda Cynon Taf - 715.7
- Llantarnam & Oakfield, Torfaen - 643
- Newtown South, Powys - 637.5
- Ridgeway & Glasllwch, Newport - 629
- Bangor South, Gwynedd - 624.2
- Tredegar & Georgetown, Blaenau Gwent - 622.5
- Fairwater & Greenmeadow, Torfaen - 618.2
- Pontnewydd & Upper Cwmbran, Torfaen - 615.1
This map shows the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people for each area in the last seven days:
The three areas with the highest infection rates in each local authority
This is based on the weekly infection rates for the previous seven days per 100,000 people. The data is based on the rolling seven-day average between March 25 - 31.
Anglesey
Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll & Menai Bridge 433.4
Holyhead 382.5
Llangefni 367.4
Blaenau Gwent
Tredegar & Georgetown 622.5
Blaina & Nantyglo 579.7
Ebbw Vale South & Cwm 577.6
Bridgend
Pen-dre, Litchard & Coity 412.6
Central Bridgend 387
Cefn-glas & Bryntirion 365.5
Caerphilly
Blackwood 503.4
Pontllan-fraith 465
Pengam & Cefn Fforest 451.8
Cardiff
Pwll-mawr & St Mellons East 511.4
Grangetown South 506.7
Rhiwbina & Pant-mawr 501.2
Carmarthenshire
Llanfihangel-ar-arth & Llanybydder 493
Bynea & Llwynhendy 387.2
Llanelli Bigyn 385.9
Ceredigon
Aberystwyth South 493.1
Beulah, Troed-yr-aur & Llandysul 311.2
Borth & Bont-goch 282.3
Conwy
Kinmel Bay & Towyn 419.1
Colwyn Bay North 386.9
Abergele 386.5
Denbighshire
Llandyrnog & Llanarmon-yn-Iâl 490.3
Denbigh West 439.8
Prestatyn Central & East 420.7
Flintshire
Hope 436.2
Mostyn & Holway 390.6
Pen-y-ffordd & Higher Kinnerton 374.7
Gwynedd
Bangor South 624.2
Caernarfon East 551
Bethesda 419.3
Merthyr Tydfil
Pentre-bach & Mountain Hare 567.1
Gelli-deg & Town 455
Gurnos, Trefechan & Pontsticill 401.6
Monmouthshire
Abergavenny North 443.5
Gilwern & Llanfoist 373.6
Caldicot South 353.8
Neath Port Talbot
Port Talbot South & Margam 330
Aberdulais & Resolfen 321.7
Skewen & Jersey Marine 320.5
Newport
Ridgeway & Glasllwch 629
Shaftesbury & Crindai 487.1
Stow Hill 472.6
Pembrokeshire
Fishguard 484.8
Haverfordwest North 407.9
Saundersfoot 341.4
Powys
Newtown South 637.5
Newtown North 387
Brecon 369
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Taff's Well & Nantgarw 715.7
Aberdare East & Cwm-bach 505.4
Bryn-cae & Llanharan 491.7
Swansea
Central Swansea 398.6
Morriston North 349.7
Killay 299.2
Vale of Glamorgan
Ogmore-by-Sea & Llandow 513.2
Llandough & Cogan 495.3
Barry Island 461.7
Torfaen
Llantarnam & Oakfield 643
Fairwater & Greenmeadow 618.2
Pontnewydd & Upper Cwmbran 615.1
Wrexham
Pen-y-cae & Minera 488.9
Caia Park 448.1
Acton & Maes-y-dre 395.6
Where is Covid growing the fastest in Wales?
Of the 22 local authorities in Wales, only two have seen an increase in the virus in the last week. Part of this may be because the rates have stopped climbing however given that positivity is still very high it is likely also the announced changes in the guidance are still having an impact on behaviour.
These figures are seven-day rolling totals for new cases adjusted for population (per 100,000 people). The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales, based on the cases for every 100,000 people (for the seven days up to March 31) now stands at 311.7- a fall from 451.5 just the week before.
Conwy is the only place with significant growth in Wales (again remember this data could be misleading due to behavioural changes). You can see how the virus has developed there is this graph:
This table shows the current infection rate and percentage change over the last seven days for every Welsh local authority:
