TWO more people from Gwent have died after contracting the coronavirus, Public Health Wales report. 

The news takes the region's death toll to 271. 

There are three new cases of Covid-19 in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area - out of 308 testing episodes.

Two of those cases are in Newport and the other case is in Monmouthshire.

Of the new cases, one was diagnosed in a hospital setting; the other two cases were diagnosed outside a hospital, such as a care home or prison. 

Across Wales, five more people have died - including two from Gwent - after testing positive for Covid-19.

The country's death toll is now 1, 471. 

And there are 48 new cases in Wales, from 2,271 testing episodes. 

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It comes as health minister Vaughan Gething revealed that the number of coronavirus patients in Wales is five per cent lower this week than it was one week ago.

He added that there are 273 critical care beds available in Wales - and 33 of the critical care beds currently occupied in Wales are by Covid-19 patients.

He also said that Wales excess deaths' is lower than in England or Scotland

The latest ONS figures show there were 2,100 excess deaths in Wales between March and early June.

"If Wales had the same [rate of excess deaths] as England, between March and early June there would have been an extra 1,600 deaths [in Wales]," he says.

"Or, if England had had the same [excess death rate] as well, there would have been 24,000 fewer deaths."

The Welsh Government will continue investigating Covid-19-related mortality, looking at factors like age, deprivation, population density, and ethnicity.