Coronavirus patients in Gwent hospitals lowest since November

With lockdown in its eighth week in Wales, the impact is starting to be seen in hospitals, the figures show.

For the fourth week running, there has been a drop in the number of hospital patients in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area, with either confirmed or suspected coronavirus, or recovering from the virus.

On average, the daily number of coronavirus patients in hospitals in the region this week was 477.

That is down from 532 last week, and 577 the week before.

It is also the lowest average weekly number since the week to November 30, when there were 474 coronavirus patients a day in Gwent's hospitals.

This chart shows how the number of people hospitalised with coronavirus in Gwent has changed since the start of the second wave in September

Nationally, the numbers in Wales have also hit their lowest point since before Christmas.

In the past seven days the average number of coronavirus patients in Welsh hospitals is 2,249.

That's the lowest amount since the figure was 2,118 on December 18, and is down from 2,525 last week, and 2,701 the week before.

This chart shows how the number of people hospitalised with coronavirus in Wales has changed since the start of the second wave in September

However, the Welsh NHS still remains in a "precarious" position.

That was the warning of Dr Andrew Goodall, chief executive of NHS Wales, speaking at Wednesday's Welsh Government coronavirus briefing.

Dr Goodall said hospitals "are still under considerable pressure and that would need to be a consideration [in thinking about easing lockdown]".

"The lower community levels are positive, but the NHS position is still precarious," he added.

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Dr Goodall said the falling numbers of cases and the drop in case rates in Wales has been "good to see".

This, he said, is especially promising in Gwent which had the highest case rates in Wales at one point late last year.

The reduction in the case rates in Wales has begun to slow and, asked whether this is a cause for concern, Dr Goodall said: "As you see the numbers lowering, it will sometimes just slow because the numbers are getting much smaller.

"I would worry if we see too much stabilisation in that.

"The new variants do start to cause some problems for us. The Kent variant may be having an impact.

"But I am hopeful we will see further improvement."