Covid cases: Welsh patients in hospital returns to June level

The number of patients in hospital beds in Wales with confirmed Covid-19 are at the highest since June.

There are now 473 patients being treated for suspected or confirmed coronavirus in hospital, including 46 who are recovering.

NHS data shows 28 of those individuals need intensive care on ventilators - down by six over the week.

A third of the Covid patients are in hospitals in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board region.

There are 260 patients being treated in Welsh hospitals with confirmed Covid, which is the highest number since 18 June.

The area covers Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT), Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend.

Merthyr still has the highest rate of infection in Wales, at more than 220 cases per 100,000 of the population.

RCT has the second highest rate at 177 cases per 100,000.

In total, there are 157 patients from the region in hospital for Covid-19 related treatment.

The latest report on Covid patients comes as health officials in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg board confirmed 26 patients have now died in three hospitals, during outbreaks of the infection on wards.

There have been 129 cases alone at Llantrisant's Royal Glamorgan Hospital, with 24 deaths.

Two patients have also died at the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr and the Bridgend's Princess of Wales Hospital.

Medical director Nick Lyons said the health board was closely monitoring the cases in conjunction with Public Health Wales.

"The safety of our patients and staff remains our first priority and immediate measures to contain the spread of the virus have been put in place.

"We are taking the outbreaks extremely seriously and the stringent and robust mitigating actions which have been taken across our sites are being closely observed.

Across Wales, there are now an average of 78 patients every day being hospitalised due to coronavirus, up from 73 in the previous week.