Coronavirus deaths show slight rise in Wales

The number of deaths involving coronavirus in Wales has risen slightly, in the latest weekly figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

For deaths registered in the week ending 3 July, the figure had increased by 35, compared to 30 the week before.

The number of so-called "excess" deaths is also above what we would normally expect to see at this time of year.

There were 29 more deaths than the five-year average.

In Wales, the number of all registered deaths increased by 32 to 584 deaths. Six per cent of these involved coronavirus.

The ONS, unlike Public Health Wales' daily figures, includes all deaths in care homes and people's homes, as well as people suspected by doctors of having coronavirus, not just confirmed cases.

We have to wait a little longer for the figures but they are regarded as being more comprehensive and reliable.

The total number of deaths in Wales up to 3 July was 2,470 - for deaths to be included in these figures, they must have been registered by 11 July.

Cardiff has the largest number of deaths with 373, followed by Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT) with 295 up to 3 July, but the rate of increase has dramatically slowed down.

Around half the deaths in the latest week were in north Wales.

But there were no new coronavirus deaths registered in nine council areas; Blaenau Gwent, Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Powys, Swansea and Torfaen.

There were fewer care home deaths - six - in the latest week, with a total of 686 Covid-19 deaths in care homes up to 3 July, making up 27.8% of all coronavirus deaths in Wales.