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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Ruth Mosalski

The areas of Wales with the most Covid

More people in Wales have coronavirus than ever before and we've been through the data from lateral flow tests to show which areas are hardest hit. The figures, published by Public Health Wales, are only a guide as widespread, routine testing using PCR tests is no longer available in Wales.

The data from lateral flow tests is published once a week by PHW and gives a snapshot of where the virus is spreading most rapidly and in which sections of the population. If you want to know everything the data from the ONS is telling us, you can read a comprehensive guide here.

In the week of March 28 to April 3, we know the number of LFTs reported decreased and also the number of positive testing episodes decreased. As LFTs are now only available for people with symptoms, a drop in the number being taken and reported is expected. However there were still 191,739 test results reported in Wales - giving a substantial insight into the spread of the virus.

In terms of age groups, people aged 40-59 are the most likely to be infected. There have been more than 1089 cases in the last week for every 100,000 people in their 40s and 50s in Wales. There were only half as many cases in children and young people aged under 20 - although the infection rate of 589.5 is still high for under 20s in the context of the pandemic as a whole.

Read more: What's the fastest way to commute into the centre of Cardiff

Women were more likely to test positive than men with an infection rate of 953.89 among females and a 652.4 among men.

These rates have been falling but given the change in the criteria for taking a test this does not necessarily mean that there is less Covid. And other data like the survey from the ONS suggests there are likely to be many cases that are currently undetected.

In total, there were 808.0 positive LFT episodes per 100,000 population, compared to 1,024.3 in the previous week. Nearly a quarter (23.43%) of LFT episodes were positive. In the previous week this was 24.37%.

Looking at the Public Health Wales data, we can see the council areas where rates are highest. All figures are incidence per 100,000 with the change from the previous week in brackets).

Blaenau Gwent

1061.1 (down 244.2)

Monmouthshire

945.7 (down 254.3)

Isle of Anglesey

917.1 (down 105.1)

Torfaen

888.9 (down 93.9)

Conwy

879.1 (down 192.9)

Rhondda Cynon Taf

876.9 (down 313.4)

Pembrokeshire

863.9 (down 283.2)

Powys

849.4 (down 285.6)

Gwynedd

832.5 (down 222.1)

Vale of Glamorgan

832.3 (down 291.2)

Carmarthenshire

820.7 (down 235.7)

Bridgend

811.3 (down 204)

Caerphilly

810.5 (down 85.8)

Ceredigion

806.6 (down 304.5)

Merthyr Tydfil

806 (down 115.8)

Denbighshire

805.9 (down 339.3)

Wrexham

765.1 (down 220.5)

Cardiff

757.6 (down 198.3)

Flintshire

756.8 (down 279.3)

Newport

728.7 (down 155.3)

Neath Port Talbot

694.7 (down 154.4)

Swansea

678.9 (down 170.3)

You can see that in a graph here:

On April 7 there were 17 patients in ventilated intensive care beds with confirmed Covid-19 - the highest level of care. Ten of them were based in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB), three were in Swansea Bay UHB, two were in Betsi Cadwaladr UHB, one was in Hywel Dda UHB and one was in Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB. These figures have remained relatively static for the past two months.

The next review of the rules in Wales is due to be on Friday, April 15.

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