Covid hospital cases in Wales at highest level for a year

Public Health Wales has issued an update on the number of hospital admissions across Wales, and where these cases originated from.

This comes after 9,213 cases were reported in Wales on Thursday – 1,471 of which were in the Gwent region.

The number of definite or probable hospital onset cases of coronavirus in Wales has risen again – up from 147 to 262 in the week ending January 2. The last time it was at this level was mid-January 2021.

There were 57 cases of indeterminate origin.

The number of hospital onset or probable hospital onset cases of coronavirus for Wales and Gwent. Source: Public Health Wales.

Gwent also saw a slight rise, with a total of 23 definite or probable hospital onset Covid cases – up from 17 last week. This is the highest level since the week ending February 14 (also 23).

A further 10 cases’ origins could not be identified.

And the number of people in Gwent testing positive either before or on admission was 123 for the week up to January 2. This includes 73 testing positive prior to admission, and 50 testing positive on admission.

This is the highest number of patients testing positive on or prior to admission since the week ending November 14 (136).

Across the region, 1,184 people were admitted to hospital – meaning six per cent were known positive cases before admission and four per cent tested positive on admission.

The Wales-wide figures saw a rise of almost 200 patients testing positive on or prior to admission to hospital.

The number of patients who tested positive on or before admission to hospital in Wales and Gwent. Source: Public Health Wales.

496 patients tested positive before or on admission across Wales in the week up to January 2 – up from 309 the previous week. This is now the highest level since November 14.

Of the 5,224 hospital admissions in Wales, five per cent (280) tested positive prior to admission, and four per cent (216) tested positive on admission.