Covid-19: Deaths rise in Aneurin Bevan and Swansea Bay health boards

There were 207 deaths involving Covid-19 in Wales in the latest weekly figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Both Aneurin Bevan and Swansea Bay health boards saw the highest numbers of weekly deaths since the end of April, at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic.

Overall, Covid deaths fell for the second successive week from 218 deaths.

But deaths from all causes are again above the five-year average.

There were 54 deaths involving Covid in the Swansea Bay health board area, including 39 in hospital and 15 in care homes, in the week ending 4 December.

The hospital deaths involved 21 residents from Neath Port Talbot and 18 from Swansea.

A similar pattern can be seen in Aneurin Bevan health board, with 53 deaths registered involving Covid-19 - including 38 in hospital and 13 in care homes - again the highest there since the end of April.

The hospital deaths include 15 patients from Caerphilly county.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg saw deaths fall from 62 to 42, while there were 18 deaths in the Hywel Dda health board area.

There were 24 deaths in Betsi Cadwaladr in north Wales, 14 deaths involving Covid-19 registered in Cardiff and Vale, and two in Powys.

Meanwhile, Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board has reported another 17 deaths linked to hospital infections at three of its hospitals.

It takes the total number of deaths in the outbreaks to 236.

Looking at the number of deaths we would normally expect to see at this point in the year is seen as a useful measure of how the pandemic is progressing.

So-called excess deaths, which compare all registered deaths with previous years, were 157 more than the 2015-2019 average in the week ending.

In Wales, the number of deaths from all causes rose from 797 to 836 in the latest week.

The proportion of excess deaths for this week in Wales was 23.1% higher than average, compared to the 14.6% higher in England.

But so far this year, the proportion of excess deaths in England (13.6%) is higher than in Wales (10% higher than average).

The total number of Covid deaths in Wales up to and registered by 4 December was 3,892 deaths.

When deaths registered over the following few days are counted, there is a total of 3,983 deaths occurring up to 4 December.

So far in the pandemic, Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) has seen the most deaths in Wales - 559, while its rate of deaths is the second highest across England and Wales for its population size.

Registered deaths involving Covid-19 are where the virus is suspected or confirmed and where doctors consider it a factor in a death, although in around 90% of cases it is the underlying cause.

The deaths occur in hospitals, care homes, hospices and people's own homes.