SIX more coronavirus deaths have been confirmed today in Gwent, out of 44 across Wales.

The Wales-wide figure is the biggest in a single day recorded by Public Health Wales since the second wave of coronavirus began to develop towards the end of August.

The Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (UHB) area - which includes Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend - bore the brunt, with 24 of those deaths. The Swansea Bay UHB area recorded 10 deaths, and there were two each in the Betsi Cadwaladr (north Wales) and Cardiff & Vale UHB areas.

The number of deaths across Wales since the pandemic began now stands at 1,939, according to Public Health Wales, and 334 of these have been in Gwent.

There were a further 1,202 cases Wales-wide confirmed today, including 222 across Gwent. The latter are as follows: Caerphilly, 82; Blaenau Gwent, 51; Newport, 48; Monmouthshire, 24; Torfaen, 17.

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The rolling weekly case rate - to November 1 - across Wales is 266 cases per 100,000 population, though the current hotspot areas have far higher rates.

Blaenau Gwent, with rolling weekly case rate of 543.9 per 100,000 has the highest in Gwent and the third highest in Wales, behind Merthyr Tydfil (741) and Rhondda Cynon Taf (553.8).

Caerphilly (343.5) is also above the all-Wales rate, though Newport, Torfaen and Monmouthshire are all below.

Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly continue to have the highest proportion of positive tests in Gwent, at 22.2 per cent and 22.1 per cent respectively, for the week to November 1.

Merthyr Tydfil has the highest positive tests rate in Wales, at 30.8 per cent.

The latest cases in Wales are as follows:

Rhondda Cynon Taf - 240

Cardiff - 158

Swansea - 143

Bridgend - 84

Caerphilly - 82

Merthyr Tydfil - 69

Neath Port Talbot - 66

Blaenau Gwent - 51

Newport - 48

Carmarthenshire - 43

Vale of Glamorgan - 35

Wrexham - 33

Monmouthshire - 24

Flintshire - 21

Torfaen - 17

Powys - 16

Gwynedd - nine

Denbighshire - eight

Conwy - five

Pembrokeshire - four

Anglesey - two

Ceredigion - two

unknown location - seven

Resident outside Wales - 35

Public Health Wales figures for coronavirus deaths include only those that have been confirmed by a laboratory test. The Office for National Statistics - which counts all deaths in which coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate - puts the number of deaths in Wales much higher.