Covid-19: Merthyr Tydfil now worst in UK for case rates

Merthyr Tydfil in lockdown: It has been among the worst-hit areas of the UK for case rates for several days

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 Tydfil, with 741 cases per 100,000 people in the past week, has moved above Oldham and Blackburn in Lancashire.

Nearly a third of people in the area tested currently have positive results.

People living in the county are "close emotionally and physically" which has helped the spread of the virus, believes council leader Kevin O'Neill.

He called for a gradual easing of restrictions at the end of Wales' firebreak lockdown, adding: "I think there's a need to graduate some of the release of those regulations but also the vast majority of the public have complied.

"They need some air to breathe, they need some space to move."

Mr O'Neill welcomed the reopening of pubs and restaurants but added: "It needs to be managed with effective measures with both police and community safety working very closely together to monitor that."

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.

The most reliable comparative figures for the whole of the UK, for the seven days up to 1 November, saw Merthyr moving ahead of a number of areas in north west England. Others included Salford, Rochdale and Bury.

PHW published updated figures later on Thursday showing Merthyr's case rate was slightly lower on 719.4 per 100,000 people.

Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) had risen to 556.7. It had been ranked ninth in the UK.

Blaenau Gwent - tenth hardest hit in the UK - now has 509.6 cases per 100,000, with Sirhowy still having the highest local case rate in Wales, currently 1,088 per 100,000 - involving 77 cases in the last seven days.

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Gelllideg, Cefn Coed-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.