Over 50 deaths have been recorded in Wales today as the number of Covid cases across the country continues to rise.

33 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in Ceredigion today, with Carmarthenshire reporting 186 new cases and Pembrokeshire recording 42.

Powys has recorded 45 new cases and Gwynedd, 13.

51 deaths attributed to coronavirus have been recorded in Wales today alone, taking the total number of deaths since the pandemic began to 3,200.

Of those deaths, 178 have been recorded in the Hywel Dda region of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Betsi Cadwaladr in North Wales has recorded 573 deaths and Powys Health Board has recorded 32.

Ceredigion County Council issued a warning on Tuesday over the ‘significant increase’ of Covid-19 cases in Aberystwyth, with over half of the cases recorded in the county coming from the town.

Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “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.

“The safest option for people within this group is not to be part of a Christmas Bubble and to limit contact with other people over the festive period.”

On the new variant strain of the virus, Dr Shankar added: “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.

“We are reminding people that all current guidance relating to coronavirus continues to apply to the new variant, including advice relating to symptoms, social distancing, self-isolation, and vaccination.”