THERE has been a ‘worrying increase’ in coronavirus cases in Gwent, Wales’s health minister has said.

Vaughan Gething was speaking in a press conference this afternoon, in which he spoke on the current situation regarding coronavirus cases in Wales, two weeks after the end of the firebreak lockdown.

He stated that the broad situation across Wales remains stable - but said there had been a ‘worrying increase’ in some areas, singling out Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Torfaen, and Newport in particular.

The sharpest increase has been in under 25s, with the over 60s rate continuing to fall. The rate had fallen during, and after, the firebreak but has not started to rise again.

MORE NEWS:

Public Health Wales recorded 499 new coronavirus cases in Newport from November 15 to November 22 – 176 for Monmouthshire, 381 for Blaenau Gwent, 250 in Torfaen, and the highest is 635 in Caerphilly.

First minister, Mark Drakeford, at a Welsh Government press conference on Friday, November 20, said that rising coronavirus rates in Gwent is ‘a concern’.

Currently, Blaenau Gwent has the highest rolling seven-day case rate per 100,000 people in Wales, at 365, with that in Newport having topped 200 again, and the Caerphilly rate having risen too.

“The more contact we have with other people, the more normal things we do, the greater chance we catch or spread coronavirus,” said Mr Gething.