A TOTAL of 39 people have tested positive for coronavirus across Powys in the last 24 hours, and another person has died with the virus, Public Health Wales has reported.

Latest data shows that 2,302 people have contacted the virus since the pandemic began earlier this year.

According to Public Health Wales, meaning there have been 33 deaths in the county since the start of the pandemic.

Wales is in a national lockdown following concerns that a new strain of the virus is circulating across the country.

Across Wales, 15 more people have died after contracting the virus, and there are 2,273 new cases.

Powys stats

Confirmed cases – 2,302

New cases in December 28 data – 39

Rate of new cases per 100,000 in week to December 23 – 179.0

Powys position among Welsh local authorities for rate of new cases – 17th out of 22

Why are figures lower in Powys?

Deaths of Powys residents can be skewed as many of the county’s patients deemed acute are transferred to hospitals in England.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures therefore are usually considered a stronger indicator of the overall impact of the virus, and which are based on all deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate. ONS figures stand at 134 in Powys.

Newly-confirmed cases day-by-day

Monday, December 28 - 39

Christmas period - 72

Thursday, December 24 - 34

Wednesday, December 23 - 45

Tuesday, December 22 - 38

The national picture

According to Public Health Wales there were 2,273 new cases reported, taking the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 141,915

There were 15 deaths with the virus recorded in Wales today. A total of 3,383 people have died with the virus in Wales since the starts of the pandemic.

Public Health Wales statement

Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “We hope everyone has had a healthy and safe Christmas. The lockdown restrictions remain and we advise everyone to stay at home except for reasonable excuses, and to limit your social contacts.

“Travellers who have been in or transited through South Africa in the last 10 days are no longer allowed into the UK. Any passengers returning to Wales from South Africa since December 14, 2020 have been contacted by Public Health Wales and will take a COVID test as advised.

“Welsh Government has announced that the advice to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, previously ‘shielding’ has changed. Those people within this group should no longer attend work or school outside the home.

“Public Health Wales is working with the Welsh Government, local health boards, local authorities and other partners following the announcement of national restrictions in Wales from midnight, December 20, 2020.

“Under the new restrictions, people must stay at home, except for very limited purposes. People must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with. Non-essential retail, close contact services, gyms and leisure centres, and hospitality will be closed.

“As indicated by the Welsh Government, the immediate introduction of new restrictions is related to the identification of a new more transmissible variant of Coronavirus. Public Health Wales has been working with UK partners to investigate and respond to this variant.

“It is normal for viruses to undergo mutations, and we expect this to happen. Although the variant is easier to transmit, there is currently no evidence that it is more severe.

“We are reminding people that all current guidance relating to Coronavirus continues to apply to the new variant, including advice relating to symptoms, social distancing, self-isolation, and vaccination."