COVID cases continue to soar in Wales with more than 21,000 recorded today, along with 10 deaths.

The latest figures released this lunch time by Public Health Wales show that Wales has recorded 21,279 new cases with the national rate of infection now standing at 2,133.4 cases per 100,000 population.

Today’s data covers a 48-hour period between 9am 2 January and 9am on 4 January.

Carmarthenshire has recorded more than 1,000 new cases for a second day running, with 1,151 recorded today.

Gwynedd has recorded 880 new cases today with Ceredigion recording 375.

Powys has recorded 690 new cases with 735 in Pembrokeshire.

Two new deaths have been recorded in the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board region of north Wales, taking its total number of fatalities to 1,135.

No deaths have been recorded by Hywel Dda Health Board, which covers Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, with its total remaining at 636.

Powys Health Board also has no recorded deaths today, with its total remaining at 86.

Rolling seven-day data, which covers a period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve shows that Porthmadog has the highest rate of infection in Gwynedd, with a rate of 2,777.4 cases per 100,000 population.

Aberystwyth south has the highest rate in Ceredigion at 2,674.4 with Machynlleth and Banwy in Powys having a rate of 2,002.9.

Cases in north Carmarthenshire remain relatively low with the rate of infection less than half the national average in areas such as Llanybydder and Newcastle Emlyn.

The high infection rates are having an impact on public services however with Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board reporting that more than 600 staff members are currently off work due to Covid-19.

Sue Green, Betsi Cadwaladr UHB’s executive director of workforce and organisational development, said: “At the moment we have more than 600 people off work due to Covid-related issues, which equates to almost 4 per cent of our workforce.

“In total around 10 per cent of our workforce is unavailable for duty, which could also point to the increased pressures everyone has had to face throughout the pandemic.”