OVER 3,000 new coronavirus cases and 12 deaths have been recorded in the latest figures released this lunch time by Public Health Wales.

The figures, which cover the 24-hour period up to 9am on Friday, show that 3,152 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded across Wales with the nation’s rate of infection rising to 716.9 cases per 100,000 population.

90 new cases were recorded in Ceredigion with Carmarthenshire recording 126 and Pembrokeshire, 140.

Powys has recorded 100 new cases with Gwynedd recording 97.

One of the 12 deaths recorded today occurred in the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board region of north Wales, taking the total number of Covid-19 deaths in that region to 1,065.

No new deaths have been recorded in the Hywel Dda Health Board region of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, with the total remaining at 551.

No deaths were recorded either in the Powys region, with the total number of Covid-19 fatalities remaining at 76.

Ceredigion County Council issued a warning on Friday that Covid-19 numbers are expected to rise to numbers not seen before in the county, with particular concern over the Aberystwyth area.

The council said that case rates are “currently very high and are increasing daily” and warned that community transmission needed to be reduced “to ensure that our schools can reopen fully after half-term”.

“We are specifically concerned regarding the increasing infection rates in the Aberystwyth area,” the council added.

The council is urging residents to “think about who you are meeting and where” during the October half-term break next week.