AN APP that NHS Wales is encouraging everyone to download suggests that Blaenau Gwent has the highest percentage of people with estimated Covid-19 in Gwent - and the joint highest in Wales.

Data from the COVID Symptom Study app – available on iOS and Android – shows that 1.4 per cent of users in Blaenau Gwent have symptoms indicative of Covid-19.

This is the highest percentage across Wales, alongside Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The app allows users to log daily symptoms to help build a picture of how the virus is spreading in Wales.

As of today, May 19, 1,093 people used the app in Blaenau Gwent, meaning that 15 people (1.4 per cent) who have logged their symptoms consistent with Covid-19.

Only Rhondda Cynon Taf has the same percentage of people showing Covid-19 symptoms across Wales – however, over 5,000 people have used the app in the area, meaning the number of people with estimated Covid-19 is higher.

In Newport, one per cent of users are estimated to have Covid-19 - out of 2,846 respondents, equating to 28 people.

In Caerphilly, 0.9 per cent of 3349 are estimated to have the disease – equating to 30 people.

In Torfaen, 0.6 per cent of 2235 are estimated to have the disease – equating to 13 people.

And in Monmouthshire, 0.6 per cent of 2892 are estimated to have the disease – equating to 17 people.

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Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “We are encouraging everyone to download the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Symptom Study app, which has been supported by Welsh Government.”

More than three million participants have downloaded the app, making it the largest public science project of its kind in the world, developers say.

The app data – which is protected by GDPR – is being analysed in collaboration with King’s College London researchers.