CEREDIGION has yet again recorded no new cases of coronavirus – the only county in Wales to do so.

Numbers have remained low in Ceredigion over recent weeks with three recorded on Monday being the highest daily figure since 4 March when four cases were recorded.

Ceredigion has only recorded five new cases in the last seven days.

Elsewhere, Carmarthenshire has recorded nine new cases today while Gwynedd has recorded seven.

Pembrokeshire has recorded six cases and Powys, one new case.

Across Wales, 142 new cases have been recorded today giving the nation an infection rate of 40 cases per 100,000 population.

One new death has been recorded today, taking the total since the pandemic began to 5,455.

Rolling seven-day figures which cover the period 5-11 March show that Ceredigion had a rate of infection of 4.1 cases per 100,000 population, one tenth that of the national average.

Gwynedd however had a rate higher than the national average, standing at 618 cases per 100,000 population.

Powys had a rate of 36.2 over that same time period with Carmarthenshire’s rate being 24.4 and Pembrokeshire’s standing at 15.1.

Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “While the level of infection across Wales has declined in recent weeks, there are still several areas which have substantially higher rates.

“It is vitally important that we don’t squander the substantial gains that have been made, and therefore I would like to send a clear message to everyone that coronavirus hasn’t gone away and there are still a large number of people who have not been vaccinated. In order to protect everyone, including the most vulnerable, everyone must stick to the rules.”

Dr Shankar also addressed concerns over the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, after its use was suspended in several European countries.

He added: “Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the regulatory body, has said that it has not been confirmed that the reports of blood clots were caused by the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

“It has said that given the large numbers of doses administered, and the frequency at which blood clots can occur naturally, the evidence available does not suggest the vaccine is the cause.

“People’s safety will always come first.

"We continually monitor vaccine safety and we are keeping this issue under close review, but evidence currently available does not confirm this vaccine is causing blood clots.

"People should still go and get their vaccine when asked to do so.”