THERE have now been more than 40,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Gwent since the pandemic began - a little under 20 per cent of all cases in Wales.

Fifty-one new cases have been confirmed in Gwent (Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area) today, taking the total here to 40,017, according to Public Health Wales, out of 202,872 across Wales. Wales-wide, 312 new cases have been reported today.

No new deaths due to coronavirus have been reported today in Gwent - the fourth day out of five - and six deaths have been confirmed in the past week, the lowest weekly total since early autumn, and the second lowest of Wales' seven health board areas.

There have been 21 new deaths confirmed today across Wales however. Public Health Wales puts the number of confirmed coronavirus deaths in Wales at 5,284, including 935 in Gwent.

Today's newly confirmed cases in Gwent are: Newport, 23; Monmouthshire, 12; Caerphilly, nine; Blaenau Gwent, four; Torfaen, three.

More than 7,400 people in Wales received a first dose of coronavirus vaccine yesterday, taking the total to 869,653. Almost 7,000 people received a second dose yesterday, with the total who have completed their vaccinations now standing at 49,729.

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The all-Wales rolling weekly coronavirus case rate has fallen again, and for the week to February 20 - the latest available - is 75.4 per 100,000.

This is only a slight fall, and the rate of decrease has slowed as the rate has got smaller.

There have been small fluctuations in rolling weekly case rates in most council areas in Wales in recent weeks, again as those rates have got smaller - but the trend remains mostly downward.

In Gwent, Blaenau Gwent (50.1 per 100,000) and Monmouthshire (63.4) are below the all-Wales rate for the week to February 20.

Blaenau Gwent has the lowest rolling weekly case rate in Gwent to that date, and the fourth lowest in Wales, while Monmouthshire has the ninth lowest rate in Wales.

Caerphilly (91.1) has the fifth highest rate in Wales for the week to February 20, Newport (86) has the eighth highest rate in Wales, and Torfaen (76.6) has the ninth highest rate.

Ceredigion 28.9 per 100,000, and Pembrokeshire (46.9) have the two lowest rolling weekly case rates in Wales.

Cardiff (103.8) and Anglesey (101.4 per 100,000) have the two highest rolling weekly case rates in Wales.

The Wales-wide test positivity rate for the week to February 20, was 6.8 per cent. Caerphilly (8.2 per cent) has the highest test positivity rate in Gwent.

The newly confirmed cases across Wales today are:

Cardiff - 40

Newport - 23

Rhondda Cynon Taf - 23

Neath Port Talbot - 22

Wrexham - 21

Swansea - 20

Flintshire - 18

Gwynedd - 18

Powys - 15

Bridgend - 14

Conwy - 13

Monmouthshire - 12

Caerphilly - nine

Carmarthenshire - nine

Denbighshire - eight

Anglesey - seven

Vale of Glamorgan - seven

Merthyr Tydfil - seven

Blaenau Gwent - four

Pembrokeshire - four

Torfaen - three

Ceredigion - one

Unknown location - four

Resident outside Wales - 10

Public Health Wales figures include reports of the deaths of hospitalised patients in Welsh hospitals, or care home residents, where Covid-19 has been confirmed with a positive laboratory test and the clinician suspects this was a causative factor in the death.

They do not include people who may have died of Covid-19 but who were not confirmed by laboratory testing, those who died in other settings, or Welsh residents who died outside of Wales, and the true number of Covid-19 deaths will be higher.

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.