The number of people who have died from coronavirus in the Hywel Dda area has been under-reported.

It has been revealed today (Tuesday) that 31 deaths from Covid-19 in the Hywel Dda area of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, have not been reported.

Hywel Dda is the second health board to come under criticism after Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in North Wales revealed on Friday that over 80 people had died from the virus but had not been included in the official figures.

An investigation into the North Wales health board revealed that Hywel Dda had also not registered the deaths of 31 people in the official figures.

Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives said the news was "alarming" and "shocking".

Hywel Dda has apologised for any distress caused.

Health minister Vaughan Gething said families who had lost loved ones had been informed at the time.

On Tuesday Public Health Wales reported that another 17 people have died with coronavirus - taking the total to 813.

But that figure does not include the 31 missed - the health board said they will be reported by Public Health Wales on Wednesday.

It is not clear when the deaths took place, but Hywel Dda said it had been under-reporting up to 24 April.

In a statement sent to staff in Hywel Dda, medical director Dr Phil Kloer said: “We apologise for any distress caused by this but can assure families that have received accurate information, at the time, about the death of their loved one.

“The error relates not to how we register deaths, but how we uniformly and in a timely manner share this data with Public Health Wales.

“We have now corrected this position and from tomorrow (Wednesday), data on Hywel Dda UHB published by Public Health Wales will reflect the current position accurately.

“We have also put in place additional actions and checks to ensure our staff are supported with this process."

Mr Gething told the daily Welsh Government press conference that the changes do not "change our understanding of the disease profile across Wales".

But he said there were "certainly lessons to learn".