First Minister Mark Drakeford has tested positive for Covid-19, the Welsh Government has confirmed. The 68-year-old is now working from home while he recovers.
The news comes ahead of this week's British Irish Council which Mr Drakeford usually attends. It is also unclear whether he will take part in plenary in the Senedd on Tuesday where he holds a weekly question and answer session.
Wales' Covid infection rate is falling and is now the lowest of any UK nation, according to latest data from the Office for National Statistics. The estimated number of people in Wales testing positive for the virus for the week ending October 24 was 77,500, which equates to 2.55% of the population, or around one in 40 people.
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That's down on the previous week where 86,100 (2.83%), or around one in 35 of Wales' population, was thought to have Covid. The ONS said England also saw a fall in its infection rate, but Northern Ireland saw a rise and the picture in Scotland was described as 'uncertain'.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "The First Minister is currently working from home after testing positive for Covid. Whilst not a legal requirement, it is important that anyone that does test positive isolates whilst recovering. We encourage everyone who is eligible to take up the offer of a Covid booster vaccination".
In England, the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in the week to October 24 was 1.593 million, or around one in 35 people, compared with 1.75 million million the previous week.
In Scotland 141,400 people were likely to have Covid-19, the equivalent of one in 35, down slightly from 159,200, which is again one in 35. Northern Ireland has seen an increase, where the latest estimate for infections is 61,200, or one in 30 people, up from 53,700, or one in 35.
Meanwhile, according to Welsh Government statistics, on November 1 the number of Covid-positive patients in Welsh hospitals was 324, which has fallen from a high of 533 on October 13. Just 22 (7%) of people were being actively treated for the virus on November 1. And of the 12 Covid patients in intensive care beds, seven of them were being actively treated for the virus.
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