LOCKDOWN is bringing down transmission rates in Wales, the first minister has said, as a study warns Wales is among the worst hit parts of the UK.

Mark Drakeford confirmed this morning that Wales would remain in lockdown for at least another three weeks.

However, the decision to enter lockdown before Christmas has led to a drop in coronavirus transmission rates, he said.

Although it has not yet translated into fewer seriously ill people being admitted to hospital.

He told BBC Radio Wales: "“The numbers (of transmissions) have fallen compared to where we were before Christmas, so we’re seeing the impact of the measures that we have taken already.

“The positivity rate in Wales has been falling over the last week. There are some positive signs that the huge collective effort that we are making is making a difference.

“But the numbers are still stubbornly high, and we are not yet seeing an impact of those falls feeding into the number of people being admitted to hospital and becoming sometimes so ill that they need intensive care.”

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The move to extend lockdown comes as a new study suggests Wales is among the worst hit areas of the UK.

Data from the Zoe Covid Symptom Study UK Infection Survey run by King’s College London suggests there are 69,958 daily new symptomatic cases of coronavirus in the UK on average, a 27 per cent rise on a week ago.

The study also put the current UK R value – which represents how many people an infected person will pass the virus on to on average – at 1.2.

Regional R values are 1.1 in England, 1 in Wales and 1.3 in Scotland.

Tim Spector, lead scientist on the study, said: “The UK is now worryingly at 70,000 new daily cases and around 800,000 infected individuals, and the worst-hit areas continue to be Wales, London and the South East.

“One in 42 people in London has symptomatic Covid now, so those living in the capital must take care.

“The good news is that we are now seeing new cases in London coming down slightly.”