Covid-19: Merthyr Tydfil now worst in UK for case rates
- Published
Merthyr Tydfil now has the worst case rate for Covid-19 in the UK, with two other south Wales valleys areas also among the hardest-hit, figures show.
Meanwhile, NHS Wales figures show patient numbers in hospital with coronavirus is the highest since April.
Merthyr, with 741 cases per 100,000 people in the past week, has now moved above Oldham and Blackburn in Lancashire.
Nearly a third of people in the area tested currently have positive results.
Cases per 100,000 people, week to 1 November
741Merthyr Tydfil (ranked 1)
738Oldham (2nd)
689Blackburn with Darwen (3rd)
658Wigan (4th)
554RCT (ranked 9th)
544Blaenau Gwent (10th)
There have been 447 actual cases in Merthyr over the past seven days.
The case rate - from figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) and the UK's other public health bodies - takes into account the size of local populations and measures the rate after nearly all the test results have been processed.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) also has a case rate of more than 553 per 100,000 and is ranked ninth in the UK. It has reported 1,336 new positive tests in the past week.
Blaenau Gwent - tenth hardest hit in the UK - has seen its case rate rise again to 525.3 cases per 100,000, with Sirhowy having the highest local case rate in Wales, currently 1,173 per 100,000 - involving 83 cases.
Pentrebach and the Cefncoed-y-Cymmer, Heolgerrig and Park districts have the highest local case rates in Merthyr, followed by Gurnos, as shown by a breakdown of local data from PHW.
NHS Wales figures meanwhile show the number of Covid patients in hospital on 3 November was 1,344 across Wales, the highest number since 25 April. This is 21% up on the week before.
Covid patients account for 17% of all those in hospital beds.
They will include more than 200 cases of infections acquired inside hospitals, in the last week.
The figures also show:
- 54 people were being treated on invasive ventilated beds, including in critical care, for confirmed or suspected coronavirus, on 3 November - nine more than the week before.
- There were 16 Covid-19 patients in critical care in Cwm Taf Morgannwg, 10 each in Aneurin Bevan and Betsi Cadwaladr health board and nine in Cardiff and Vale. Swansea Bay had eight patients on invasive beds, including critical care, and there was one in Hywel Dda.
- The seven-day average in total daily admissions to hospitals of confirmed and suspected Covid-19 cases has stabilised currently, and stands at 85 a day, lower than a week ago, although there were 104 admissions on Tuesday.