70 new deaths from coronavirus have been recorded in Wales today according to official statistics.

Today’s figures, which cover Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, show that 70 new suspected Covid-19 deaths were recorded in Wales taking the total number of deaths since the pandemic began to 3,368.

Ceredigion recorded 37 new cases today with 51 being recorded in Pembrokeshire and 253 in Carmarthenshire.

Powys has recorded 55 new cases while Gwynedd has recorded 30.

Public Health Wales warned that today’s figures would be higher as cases weren’t reported on Christmas Day.

Of the 70 deaths recorded, 14 were in the Hywel Dda region of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, and three were in Betsi Cadwaladr in North Wales.

The latest seven-day data, which covers from 16-22 December shows that 158 cases were recorded in Ceredigion over that time period giving the county an infection rate of 217.3.

Carmarthenshire on the other hand recorded 1,139 cases over the same period giving the county an infection rate of 603.4.

Pembrokeshire recorded 269 cases, giving it an infection rate of 213.8.

Powys recorded 241 cases over the same time period giving the county an infection rate of 182.0 while Gwynedd recorded 106 cases leaving it with an infection rate of 85.1, the second lowest in Wales behind Anglesey.

Following the relaxing of rules on Christmas Day, Wales is now back to Tier 4 lockdown rules with households not allowed to mix.

Speaking on today’s figures, Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “We hope everyone has had a healthy and safe Christmas. The lockdown restrictions remain and we advise everyone to stay at home except for reasonable excuses, and to limit your social contacts.

“Welsh Government has announced that the advice to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, previously ‘shielding’ has changed. Those people within this group should no longer attend work or school outside the home.

“Public Health Wales is working with the Welsh Government, local health boards, local authorities and other partners following the announcement of national restrictions in Wales from midnight 20 December 2020.

“Under the new restrictions, people must stay at home, except for very limited purposes.

“People must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with. Non-essential retail, close contact services, gyms and leisure centres, and hospitality will be closed.

“As indicated by the Welsh Government, the immediate introduction of new restrictions is related to the identification of a new more transmissible variant of Coronavirus. Public Health Wales has been working with UK partners to investigate and respond to this variant.

“It is normal for viruses to undergo mutations, and we expect this to happen. Although the variant is easier to transmit, there is currently no evidence that it is more severe.”