NINETEEN new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Powys today (Sunday, November 29).

The latest new instances take the overall total number of confirmed cases in the county since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,448.

There have been no more deaths with the virus in Powys, meaning the number of people who have died with the virus in Powys remains at 29, according to Public Health Wales data.

Acute patients from Powys are usually treated across the border at hospitals in England, so deaths of Powys residents usually only appear in registrations reported later by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Those ONS figures – which are higher – also count both confirmed and suspected cases of Covid, as well as deaths in all settings, including care homes, hospices and people's own homes. The most recent weekly figures are the highest since May.

ONS figures, 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, stand at 102 in Powys.

Powys stats:

Confirmed cases – 1,448

New cases in November 29 data – 19

Rate of new cases per 100,000 in week to November 26 – 79.3

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

Newly-confirmed cases day-by-day:

Sunday, November 29 – 19

Saturday, November 28 – 25

Friday, November 27 – 11

Thursday, November 26 – 24

Wednesday, November 25 – 11

Tuesday, November 24 – 9

Monday, November 23 – 9

The national picture:

Sixteen more people have died with coronavirus in Wales, taking the total to 2,539, according to the latest figures.

Public Health Wales data also showed 1,004 more people had tested positive for Covid-19, taking the total to 79,540.

The south Wales valleys had been dominating for highest case rates but have generally fallen back over the past couple of weeks in most places, but there are issues in the Aneurin Bevan health board area. Blaenau Gwent has stood out with a rise in cases, with a rate of just under 430.8 cases per 100,000 people. Not far behind now is Torfaen, which has seen its case rate jump to 424.6 per 100,000 in the last week and also has a positivity rate of 22.8 per cent – the highest in Wales.

The latest figures follow Friday’s announcement from Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford that pubs, restaurants and bars will be subject to stricter Covid-19 restrictions in the run up to Christmas.

The new restrictions, which have not yet been finalised, will come into force from Friday, December 4. Pubs and restaurants would be banned from serving alcohol and forced to shut after 6pm if Wales adopts restrictions similar to Scotland's Tier 3 rules.

Welsh Government leaders are understood to be considering bringing in restrictions similar to those adopted in the third of Scotland's four-tier coronavirus lockdown system.

Scotland has been the most successful UK nation at controlling the virus with a seven-day infection rate of 126.4 cases for every 100,000 people, compared to 157.2 in Northern Ireland, 198.5 in Wales and 200.4 in England – according to the data from the UK Government.

Cinemas, bowling alleys and indoor entertainment venues will also have to shut before the festive break. A date for these to close has not yet been agreed.

Mr Drakeford said action was needed as case rates continued to rise in the run up to Christmas.

Public Health Wales' statement:

Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the coronavirus outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “Public Health Wales strongly advises the public to take personal responsibility for their actions and to ensure that we are all doing as much as possible to limit the transmission of coronavirus.

“We would remind everyone that coronavirus is still active in our communities, and therefore this does not mean a return to normality.

“We ask the public to observe the regulations and to limit their contact with other people as much as possible so that we all work together to bring the numbers of positive cases down.

“This means staying out of other people’s homes, limiting the times and the numbers of people that you meet, maintaining social distancing and hand hygiene, working from home if you can, and self-isolating if you show symptoms of coronavirus or are asked to do so by contact tracers.

“All of these actions will help to break the chains of transmission, reduce the spread of the virus, and keep people safe.