Another 51 people have died from coronavirus in Wales and more than 1,400 new cases have been confirmed.
The latest statistics from Public Health Wales (PHW) on Wednesday show that 1,480 people have tested positive for the virus in Wales in the past 24 hours – a significant rise of 667 records on Tuesday.
This brings the number of positive tests since the start of the outbreak to 82,489 people, while 2,614 people have died with the laboratory-confirmed coronavirus.
The infection rate across Wales as a whole now stands 227.9 Per 100,000 people based on the 7 days through November 29. This is an increase from 217.8 on Tuesday.
- Deaths recorded today: 51
- Cases reported today: 1,480 (up from 667 on Tuesday)
- Number of tests conducted: 11,047 (up from 7,372 on Tuesday)
- Total laboratory confirmed coronavirus deaths in Wales: 2,614
Plainau Joint The local authority in Wales remains with the highest infection rate in Wales, with an average of seven days of 453.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, up from 435.1 the previous day.
Torphine It comes second with an incidence rate of 402.3 cases per 100,000, down from 410.8 on Tuesday. Neath Port Talbot He is the third with 389.4, Up from 374 yesterday.
The local authorities that recorded the highest number of new cases on Wednesday are Cardiff with 206, Swansea with 191, Ronda Sinon Taff with 138, Curveli with 125, and Neathport Talbot with 107.
Other areas with high new case rates are Newport and Carmarthenshire with 90 cases each, Plainau Joint with 74, Bridgend with 61, Valley of Glamorgan with 56, Pembrokeshire with 48, Wrexham 45, Torvin with 43, Monmouthshire with 40, Flintshire with 39.
Local authorities with under 30 cases include Merthyr Tydfil with 25, Denbighshire with 16, Conwy and Powys, and Ceredigion with 13 Anglesey with 11 and Gwynedd with five.
Number of cases per 100,000 to trade over seven days (Nov 23-29)
Anurin Bevan University Health Board
Plainau Joint: 453.8 (up from 435.1)
Turphine: 402.3 (down from 410.8)
Newport: 307.7 (down from 309.7)
Curvelly: 294.9 (from 281.7)
Monmouthshire: 180.8 (out of 177.6)
Betsy Cadwallader University Health Board
Wrexham: 194.2 (of 167)
Flintshire: 114.7 (out of 105.1)
Anglesey: 85.7 (out of 81.4)
Denbighshire: 59.6 (down from 65.8)
Gwynid: 33.7 (up from 31.3)
Conwy: 30.7 (out of 29.9)
Cardiff University Health Board and Vail
Cardiff: 226.8 (from 219.9)
Glamorgan Valley: 184.1 (from 169.9)
Cwm Taf Glamorgan University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 331.5 (height from 326.6)
Ronda Sinon Taff: 322.9 (out of 304.6)
Bridgend: 228.5 (from 208.1)
Hywel University Health Board Dda
Carmarthenshire: 215.1 (out of 204.5)
Ceredigion: 145.8 (down from 155.4)
Pembrokeshire: 150.2 (out of 130.3)
Boise Health Teaching Board
Powys: 86.8 (up from 86.1)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 389.4 (out of 374)
Swansea: 341.3 (up from 319.4)
Wales overall – 227.9 (increase from 217.8)
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It was announced on Wednesday that a Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech was approved for use in the UK.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the vaccine, which provides up to 95% protection against Covid-19, is safe to use.
Health Minister Vaughan Githing said there are initially 800,000 vaccines coming into the UK from which people in Wales are getting less than 40,000 vaccines.
Since two pieces are needed, that means 20,000 will be able to obtain the vaccine on the first delivery to Wales, which will be distributed evenly across the country.
Githing added that the goal was to start giving the punches on Tuesday next week.
Speaking at the Welsh government press conference on Wednesday, Dr Jill Richardson, Chair of the Covid-19 Vaccine Program Council, said: “This morning we have received very good news that the first of these vaccines – the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine – has been approved for use in the UK.
“This is an important step forward in our response to this epidemic. For the first time, we have a chance to prevent these horrific diseases.
“We have a glimmer of light at the end of a very long and difficult year.”
She added that a second vaccine – the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine – will follow later this month, giving us more options.
“We are ready to start vaccinating as soon as we have the first supply of vaccine.
“We have tested our plans. This is not without its challenges, as one of the vaccines must be stored at extremely low temperatures.
“We are training health care workers to give people the vaccine and we can finalize the legal frameworks so that people can be vaccinated.
The UK government has already ordered tens of millions of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and Wales will have a share of the population.
“Each of these vaccines requires two doses to be effective. They must be given four weeks apart.”
But Frank Atherton, Wales’ chief medical officer, was unable to determine when nursing home residents would receive the vaccine due to storage temperature requirements.
Care home residents and staff are among those identified as the highest priority. Other priority groups include health and social workers and those over the age of 80.
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