A TOTAL of 19 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Powys by Public Health Wales on Tuesday (October 19).

The total number of lab-confirmed cases of the virus in Powys since the outbreak of the pandemic now stands at 673, with Public Health Wales confirming 19 new cases overnight.

There remain no more deaths in Powys, with the number of confirmed deaths of people due to Covid-19 in the county remaining at 15.

PHW's figures mostly involve hospital deaths and only include cases when the virus has been confirmed in a laboratory test. The figures do not include deaths of residents from Powys in hospitals in England, although these are included in Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

Figures from the ONS, considered a stronger indicator of the overall impact of the virus, and which are based on all deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate, stand at 95 in Powys, where it has remained since mid-August.

Powys stats:

Confirmed cases – 673

New cases in October 20 data – 19

Rate of new cases per 100,000 in week to October 13 – 52.9

Powys position among Welsh local authorities for rate of new cases – 18th out of 22

Newly-confirmed cases day-by-day:

Tuesday, October 20 - 19

Monday, October 19 - 9

Sunday, October 18 - 12

Saturday, October 17 – 10

Friday, October 16 – 9

Thursday, October 15 – 10

Wednesday, October 14 – 19

The national picture:

Another 10 people have died with coronavirus and 1,148 have tested positive today, according to the latest figures from Public Health Wales.

There have been 1,722 deaths reported to PHW since the start of the pandemic.

Wales will go into a second full national 'circuit breaker' lockdown for 17 days from Friday, October 23 until November 9.

Public Health Wales' statement:

Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “Public Health Wales supports yesterday’s announcement by the Welsh Government of a two-week national ‘fire-break’ to disrupt the transmission of Coronavirus in Wales. These new restrictions will come into effect at 6pm on Friday, October 23, and will last until the start of Monday, November 9.

“Cases continue to rise in Wales, hospital admissions are increasing, including those into critical care, and sadly so are the numbers of people dying from the virus.

“Although national and local measures have made a difference, further action is now needed. These new rules are vital to regain control of the virus, to protect the NHS, and save lives.

“Under the rules announced yesterday, people must stay at home, except for very limited purposes. They must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with.

“Certain businesses and venues, including bars, restaurants and most shops must close.

“Secondary schools will provide learning online only for the week after half-term, other than for children in years seven and eight. Primary schools and childcare settings will remain open.

“Face coverings continue to be mandatory in the indoor public spaces that remain open, subject to certain exemptions and exceptions, including on public transport and in taxis.

"Attending a pre-booked screening clinic, medical appointment or flu vaccination is a permitted reason for travel.

“It’s especially important to look after our mental health and wellbeing at this time. You can find sources of advice and guidance on our website if you need some help or are worried about a loved one.

“More information about the new rules is available at the Welsh Government website.

“From today, on our public facing dashboard, we are reporting by sub-local authority area – or “Middle Super Output Area”. These areas of around 2,000-6,000 households used for the purposes of statistical analysis. This allows us to report at local level, while maintaining numbers high enough to protect individual patient details.”

“If you or a member of your household develop symptoms of the Coronavirus, such as a cough, fever or change in sense of taste or smell, you must self-isolate immediately and book a free Coronavirus test at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.

“Helpful advice and support is available via the NHS COVID-19 app. As well as providing alerts if you have been in contact with someone with Coronavirus, the app will also tell you the current risk level in your area.

“Information about the symptoms of Coronavirus is available on the Public Health Wales website, or via the NHS 111 Wales symptom checker.”