A FURTHER seven cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Gwent today, the lowest daily increase in the area since September 1 last year, when seven new case were also confirmed.

And 60 new cases have been confirmed today across Wales, the lowest since September 4 last year.

There have been 209,345 new cases in Wales since the pandemic began, according to Public Health Wales, including 41,199 in Gwent. Today's new Gwent cases are: Blaenau Gwent, two; Torfaen, two; Caerphilly, one; Monmouthshire, one; Newport, one.

This is also the 10th day in a row on which there have been no new deaths due to coronavirus confirmed in Gwent.

But one new death has been confirmed across Wales today. It means the number of confirmed deaths in Wales since the pandemic began is now 5,507, again according to public Health Wales, including 952 in Gwent.

Rolling weekly case rates for Gwent and Wales remain stable for the week to March 26, the latest available, with the rate for Gwent for that period at 31.6 cases per 100,000 people, while for Wales as a whole, it is 36.8 per 100,000.

The vaccination programme continues apace, and in Wales by the end of yesterday, 1,427,183 people have had a first dose of coronavirus vaccine, a daily increase of almost 13,500. More than 14,000 people had their second dose yesterday, taking the total in Wales to 437,937.

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Monmouthshire (26.4 per 100,000) has the lowest rolling weekly case rate in Gwent - to March 26 - and the ninth lowest of Wales' 22 council areas.

Torfaen (26.6 cases per 100,000 people) has the 10th lowest rate in Wales, and Caerphilly (28.2) has the 11th lowest rate.

Newport (40.1) has the seventh highest rate in Wales, and Blaenau Gwent (35.8) has the 10th highest rate.

Ceredigion, with 5.5 per 100,000, and Bridgend (14.3) have the two lowest rolling weekly case rates in Wales, to March 26.

Merthyr Tydfil (121) and Anglesey (108.5) have the two highest rolling weekly case rates in Wales.

The Wales-wide test positivity rate for the week to March 26 is 2.6 per cent. Newport (also 2.6 per cent) has the highest test positivity rate in Gwent.

The newly confirmed cases across Wales today are:

Rhondda Cynon Taf - nine

Cardiff - eight

Swansea - six

Anglesey - four

Gwynedd - four

Merthyr Tydfil - four

Neath Port Talbot - three

Blaenau Gwent - two

Torfaen - two

Conwy - two

Wrexham - two

Carmarthenshire - two

Pembrokeshire - two

Caerphilly - one

Monmouthshire - one

Newport - one

Denbighshire - one

Flintshire - one

Bridgend - one

Ceredigion - one

Powys - one

Vale of Glamorgan - none

Unknown location - none

Resident outside Wales - two

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.