CONFIRMED deaths from coronavirus in Gwent have fallen by almost 80 per cent in the month to today, Wednesday March 3, compared to the figure for the previous month.

And the number of confirmed cases in Gwent, again for the month to today, is more than 70 per cent down on that for the previous month.

Allied to case rates, which have plummeted too since early January, the figures are a clear indication of the effects of the current lockdown - and the efforts of people in the area in adhering to its restrictions - and of the impact of the ongoing coronavirus vaccination programme.

During the period January 3-February 3, there were 203 confirmed deaths due to coronavirus in Gwent, according to Public Health Wales - and from February 3-March 3 there were 43. This is a fall of 78.8 per cent.

Also from January 3-February 3, there were 6,546 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Gwent, again according to Public Health Wales - while from February 3-March 3 there were 1,878. This is a decrease of 72.3 per cent.

Even allowing for the fact that the latter month has been three days shorter than the previous, these figures - and those for other areas of Wales - are hugely encouraging, as the country looks ahead to further easing of restrictions in the coming weeks, subject to improvements being maintained.

But First Minister Mark Drakeford stressed earlier this week that "people are dying still, every day" in Wales because of coronavirus, and more needs to be done.

The above figures include a further confirmed death in Gwent (Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area) today, taking the total here since the pandemic began to 941. There have been 12 more confirmed deaths across Wales, with the total now 5,356.

The figures also include 57 newly confirmed cases in Gwent, as follows: Caerphilly, 20; Newport, 18; Torfaen, 10; Blaenau Gwent, five; Monmouthshire, four.

The all-Wales rolling weekly case rate - for the week to February 26 - has fallen to 57.1 per 100,000 population. This has more than halved in the three weeks to that date.

The rate for Gwent (Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area) for the week to February 26, is 66.3 per 100,000.

In Wales, up to the end of yesterday, 942,017 people have had a first dose of coronavirus vaccine, and 124,781 of these have had a second dose.

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Blaenau Gwent (40.1 per 100,000) has the lowest rolling weekly case rate in Gwent to February 26, and the sixth lowest rate of Wales' 22 council areas. Monmouthshire (49.7) has the seventh lowest rate in Wales.

Caerphilly (80.1 per 100,000) has the highest rate in Gwent to that date, and the third highest rate in Wales. Torfaen (78.8) has the fourth highest rate in Wales, and Newport (64.7) has the seventh highest rate in Wales.

Ceredigion 24.8 per 100,000, and Pembrokeshire (25.4) have the two lowest rolling weekly case rates in Wales, to February 26.

Gwynedd (92.3) and Conwy (87.9) and have the two highest rolling weekly case rates in Wales.

The Wales-wide test positivity rate for the week to February 26, was 5.8 per cent. Caerphilly (7.6 per cent) has the highest test positivity rate in Gwent.

The newly confirmed cases across Wales today are:

Caerphilly - 20

Newport - 18

Wrexham - 17

Flintshire - 13

Cardiff - 13

Rhondda Cynon Taf - 12

Torfaen - 10

Conwy - 10

Gwynedd - nine

Carmarthenshire - nine

Denbighshire - eight

Vale of Glamorgan - eight

Bridgend - eight

Merthyr Tydfil - seven

Powys - seven

Swansea - seven

Anglesey - six

Neath Port Talbot - six

Blaenau Gwent - five

Monmouthshire - four

Pembrokeshire - two

Ceredigion - one

Unknown location - none

Resident outside Wales - eight

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.