Covid-19 rates falling in most local areas of Wales

Covid-19 case rates have dropped in a majority of areas in Wales, latest figures show.

The biggest falls are in Neath Port Talbot, Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent.

Rates have risen in parts of North Wales, however.

The figures, for the seven days to December 31, are based on tests carried out in NHS Wales laboratories and those conducted on Welsh residents processed in commercial laboratories.

They show that the number of new cases per 100,000 people in Neath Port Talbot has dropped sharply week-on-week from 724.3 to 478.7, while in Merthyr Tydfil the rate has decreased from 901.8 to 669.7.

In Blaenau Gwent, the rate is down from 740.0 to 543.9.

HEALTH Coronavirus Wales
HEALTH Coronavirus Wales

A total of 15 out of the 22 local authority areas in Wales have recorded a week-on-week fall in rates.

The remaining seven areas have seen a rise, with the biggest jump in Flintshire where the rate is up from 349.8 to 559.9.

Another nationwide lockdown in Wales began on December 20.

Bridgend continues to record the highest rate in Wales, although the number has fallen slightly from 952.1 to 905.1.

Here are the latest rates in full.

The figures have been calculated by the PA news agency and are based on data published on the Public Health Wales Covid-19 surveillance dashboard on January 4. Data for the most recent four days (January 1-4) has been excluded as it is incomplete and understates the true number of cases.

From left to right, the list reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to December 31; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to December 31; rate of new cases in the seven days to December 24; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to December 24.

Bridgend, 905.1, (1331), 952.1, (1400)
Wrexham, 772.3, (1050), 597.2, (812)
Merthyr Tydfil, 669.7, (404), 901.8, (544)
Newport, 585.1, (905), 614.8, (951)
Flintshire, 559.9, (874), 349.8, (546)
Rhondda Cynon Taf, 559.1, (1349), 662.3, (1598)
Torfaen, 550.2, (517), 612.0, (575)
Blaenau Gwent, 543.9, (380), 740.0, (517)
Vale of Glamorgan, 520.3, (695), 592.9, (792)
Caerphilly, 509.7, (923), 598.6, (1084)
Neath Port Talbot, 478.7, (686), 724.3, (1038)
Cardiff, 462.0, (1695), 549.7, (2017)
Carmarthenshire, 417.4, (788), 496.9, (938)
Swansea, 409.7, (1012), 517.0, (1277)
Denbighshire, 369.9, (354), 224.7, (215)
Monmouthshire, 328.8, (311), 354.2, (335)
Powys, 204.6, (271), 159.3, (211)
Ceredigion, 194.0, (141), 180.2, (131)
Pembrokeshire, 187.6, (236), 193.9, (244)
Isle of Anglesey, 167.0, (117), 81.4, (57)
Conwy, 140.8, (165), 139.9, (164)
Gwynedd, 65.0, (81), 85.9, (107)

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