Six new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Ceredigion – with Gwynedd recording over 20 new cases for a second day in a row.

Across Wales, 481 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded today according to the latest statistics, released this lunchtime by Public Health Wales.

Ceredigion has recorded six cases today with Carmarthenshire recording nine and Pembrokeshire, four.

22 cases have been recorded in Gwynedd today with 23 recorded on Wednesday.

Powys has recorded 17 new cases today.

No new deaths have been recorded in Wales however, with the number of Covid-19 related fatalities since the start of the pandemic remaining at 5,575.

As the vaccination drive continues across Wales, with half of all residents in Ceredigion now fully vaccinated, the Welsh Government has announced that booster jabs will be made available this autumn.

Eluned Morgan, minister for health and social services, said the Welsh Government welcomed advice from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation “to give people a third dose of the Covid vaccine as there is a danger of reduced immunity over time”.

Following weeks of discussion and consideration of evidence, the interim advice recommends the autumn booster campaign begins in September “to reduce any further incidence of Covid-19 and maximise protection in those who are most vulnerable to serious infection, ahead of the winter months”.

Priority groups for the booster vaccinations will mirror those for the original vaccines, with adults aged 16 and over who are immunosuppressed; those living in residential care homes for older adults; all adults aged 70 years or over; adults aged 16 years and over who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable; and frontline health and social care workers receiving the booster jab in the first stage, followed by all adults aged 50 years and over; adults aged 16 to 49 years who are in an influenza or Covid-19 at-risk group; and adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals.

As most younger adults will only receive their second vaccine dose in late summer, the benefits of booster vaccination in this group will be considered by the JVCI at a later date.

The health minister said the Welsh Government “welcomes” the JCVI advice, adding it “very much aligns with our thinking and our planning assumptions to date”.

“NHS Wales has been planning on the assumption of a September/October booster with around a six month gap following a second dose and health boards have submitted their initial plans on this basis,” she said.

“We will be working with health boards to ensure they are ready to deliver a booster programme from the start of September.”