Covid: Denbighshire has joint-lowest UK case rate as new cases hit zero

Denbighshire has recorded zero new Covid cases in a week

A county in north Wales has the joint-lowest Covid case rate in the UK.

Denbighshire had no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the week to 1 May, meaning it has the lowest Covid-19 infection rate on the UK mainland.

Public Health Wales (PHW) said it had zero Covid cases, the first time any Welsh county has reported no cases in any given week since last August.

The Scottish islands of Orkney, Shetland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar also had zero Covid cases for the week.

Eight of the 20 areas with the lowest Covid case rates in the UK are now in Wales.

• How many people have died in Wales?

• Figuring out the stats on coronavirus in Wales

• Covid hospital numbers in Wales hit record low

The news comes as Wales' case rate fell to under 10 cases per 100,000 people, which is its lowest point since the end of August.

Numbers of Covid patients in Welsh hospitals are also now at the lowest levels they have been since the pandemic began.

Denbighshire is the first Welsh county to record no new cases rates, since Blaenau Gwent and Ceredigion hit zero last August.

Since the start of the pandemic, 4,331 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Denbighshire.

With a further 34 new cases, the seven-day rate of infection now stands at 9.8 for every 100,000 people in Wales.

Cases peaked in the county in early January, when 455 cases were reported in a week.

Public Health Wales said the "current situation" in the county was "encouraging".

"We thank the residents of Denbighshire for all their efforts to reduce cases of Coronavirus in the county," a spokesperson said.

"We remind the general public that it is still extremely important to follow social distancing and hygiene measures to prevent the transmission of Coronavirus.

"That is, staying 2m from anyone you don't live with, washing hands regularly and wearing face coverings in indoor settings."