Two more people in Powys have been confirmed as having coronavirus, on another day of significant escalation for the outbreak in Wales so far.

Public Health Wales said 180 new cases have been found, bringing the total number to 921 – although because few are being tested the likelihood is that the true figure is higher still.

Another six people have also died, taking the total number of fatalities in Wales to 34.

Two people in Powys were diagnosed, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 18 – although this too is a very conservative figure.

Public Health Wales, in line with other parts of the country, has not been releasing details about where the cases have been located, and has not confirmed whether the county has seen any fatalities.

Dr Robin Howe, incident director for the Novel Coronavirus outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “We realise how important it is to keep people updated, and we can confirm that around 5,000 coronavirus tests have so far been carried out in Wales.

“We are looking at ways of providing information for the public and media in a routine or automated way, and we ask that the public and media bear with us while these systems are put in place.

“Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now circulating in every part of Wales. The single most important action we can all take in fighting Coronavirus is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS, and save lives.

“Members of the public must adhere to social distancing rules about staying at home, and away from others, introduced by the UK and Welsh Government. These rules are available on the Public Health Wales website."

Dr Howe added: “People no longer need to contact NHS 111 if they think they may have contracted Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Information about the symptoms to look out for is available on the Public Health Wales website, or members of the public can use the NHS Wales symptom checker.

“Anyone with a suspected coronavirus illness should not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. They should only contact NHS 111 if they feel they cannot cope with their symptoms at home, their condition gets worse, or their symptoms do not get better after seven days.

“The public play a very important role in slowing the spread of infection. By strictly following the latest measures, you will protect yourself, protect the most vulnerable and help to reduce the pressure on NHS Wales and minimise the impact of the virus.”