THE CORONAVIRUS situation in Wales is not looking good, latest figures suggest with cases doubling every six-and-a-half days. This was the stark warning of Wales’ chief medical officer Frank Atherton on Monday (Jul 12).
There have been almost 1,200 new confirmed Covid cases in Wales for the last 48-hour period.
The latest update from Public Health Wales on Monday, July 12 recorded 1,190 more positive cases to bring the total since the pandemic began to 225,691. There were no further deaths meaning the overall total remains 5,579.
The latest update from Public Health Wales on Monday, July 12 recorded 1,190 more positive cases to bring the total since the pandemic began to 225,691. There were no further deaths meaning the overall total remains 5,579.
Wales’ infection rate has risen to 136.1 cases per 100,000 population based on the seven days between Jul 1 and July 7 – up on 127 on Sunday. Fifteen of Wales’ 22 local authorities are now reporting more than 100 positive cases per 100,00 people.
The figures are based on the date a test was done, not the date a test was put on the system, meaning it is an accurate reflection of how fast the virus is spreading in Wales.
Dr Atherton was speaking at the Welsh Government coronavirus briefing days before the latest review of restrictions in Wales.
He said that the R number for Wales was now estimated to be between 1.8 and 1.9 by Public Health Wales – this is one of the highest rates reported at any point since the peak of the first wave.
He said at the briefing: “This means every person who is infected is going on to infect almost another two people.”
Dr Atherton was joined by Dr Gillian Richardson, who oversees the vaccine roll-out programme in Wales, who warned that young people were particularly vulnerable.
She said: “Only about 75% of 18 to 39-year-olds have had a first dose. This means one in four in this age group are still not protected. These young adults are vulnerable to infection, serious illness and life-changing long-Covid, as well as loss of earnings if they have to self-isolate as cases of the Delta variant are increasing in this age group.”
She added: “We can confidently say that vaccines have weakened the link between infections, serious illness and hospitalisations and deaths. But they haven’t broken the link.
“This is why it’s really important to have high levels of vaccination in all age groups and also why we need to work together to keep coronavirus under control because this virus can still cause harm, especially if rates rise very steeply, as we are expecting.”
Add Comment