Covid infection rates rise in 13 areas among under 25s

There remains more than 128,000 in the 18 to 29 age group who have still not had a first dose of vaccine

More than half of local authority areas have seen a rise in Covid-19 case rates among the under 25s, latest figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) show.

Thirteen areas have seen increases in recent days, the biggest in Powys, Newport and Bridgend.

The highest cases rate for under-25s remains in Wrexham with 512.3 cases per 100,000 people although it has fallen slightly in neighbouring Flintshire.

Nearly 27% of people aged 18 to 29 have yet to take up a first vaccine dose.

• 55% of positive tests are in people under 30 for the latest day - a similar pattern we have been seeing in the figures since early June.

• Latest weekly figures on the under 25s show the highest cases rate for under-25s is in Wrexham with 512.3 cases per 100,000 - that's 205 cases in the most recent week, just under half of all the area's cases.

• 58% of cases in Powys and 56% in Bridgend have been among the under 25s in recent days.

How many Covid patients in hospital in Wales?

There are 10 patients with Covid in critical care or on invasive ventilation - this is the first time numbers have been in double figures since mid-April. There are four in north Wales hospitals and three patients each in Cardiff and Vale and Hywel Dda in west Wales.

But non-Covid critical care patients still outnumber them by 14 to one. This number is still 93% down on in the peak in January.

Admissions remain at an average of eight confirmed and suspected Covid patients a day.

Hospitalisations show 69 confirmed patients in hospital beds - a rolling average of 64, compared to 39 a week before and the highest since mid-April. Including suspected and recovering patients, there are 135 Covid patients in beds, a rolling average of 137.

Numbers are up but health officials say there are signs of a weakened link with numbers of rising positive tests in the community.

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Early indications are that half of Covid patients now are unvaccinated. Of the remainder, around 30% have had one dose and 20% have had both jabs, although these patients may have pre-existing conditions too.

The signs are that patients are also spending less time in hospital - with 75% discharged by 10 days, in the second wave it was only 40%.

How many Covid cases are there in Wales?

There were 1,135 new coronavirus cases reported in Wales on Wednesday but when we look at the rolling average, it's 654 positive tests per day, up to 9 July. This is a doubling time of 12 days.

This means at the current rate, the number of cases will double in 12 days time. On 25 June, the doubling time was seven days, so this is an indication the rate of increase might be slowing down.

Wrexham still has the highest case rate among local council areas (318.5 cases per 100,000) although it has fallen slightly. Denbighshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf are showing the most noticeable recent rises.

Broken down at community level, two districts of Newtown in Powys now have the highest localised case rates in Wales.

PHW meanwhile has reported one death - in the Aneurin Bevan health board area in south-east Wales - which occurred last Friday 9 July. Three deaths have occurred in the last seven days