Nine new deaths have been recorded today in Wales from Covid-19.

Official figures, released this lunchtime by Public Health Wales, show that the death toll in Wales from Covid-19 now stands at 5,246 as 319 new cases of the virus were recorded across Wales in the last 24 hours.

Of those new cases, 13 were recorded in Gwynedd and 16 in Carmarthenshire.

Ceredigion recorded three new cases, with Pembrokeshire recording four and Powys, seven.

Five more deaths have been recorded in the Hywel Dda area, with the total standing at 440 throughout the pandemic.

861 deaths have been recorded in the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board areas of North Wales and 58 in Powys.

Office of National Statistics data, which records every death that mentions Covid-19 on the death certificate, puts the total number of deaths in Wales at 6,993 with 610 in Hywel Dda area, 1,168 in the Betsi Cadwaladr area and 217 in Powys.

Across Wales, 862,248 have received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine and 42,752 the second dose.

Giving the daily statement, Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “Coronavirus rates have fallen in every part of Wales, but remain higher in some parts. We remind the public that we remain under level 4 restrictions to keep infection rates falling.

“Please stay at home, meet only the people you live with, work from home if you can, wear a face covering where required, wash your hands regularly, and stay two metres from anyone you do not live with.

“As primary school children aged three to seven years in foundation phase are returning to face-to-face learning today, we thank parents for their perseverance during the winter.

“We need your continued support to control the spread of coronavirus, so please do not send your child to school if they are unwell, even if you are not sure if they have coronavirus. Please continue to work from home if at all possible.

“The Welsh Government has also confirmed that from Saturday, 20 February, four people from two different households are able to meet outdoors for socially distanced local exercise. Please remember this is solely for the purpose of exercise and that individuals should remain at a social distance, and that this guidance doesn’t apply to private gardens.

“From 1 March, the law will be changed to allow licensed wedding venues, such as visitor attractions and hotels, to reopen but only to perform wedding and civil partnership ceremonies."

The prime minister is expected to make an announcement on lockdown rules changing later this evening, but these amendments will only apply to England.

For more information on the coronavirus in your area, go to www.tinyurl.com/wgthkgs