70 more deaths have been recorded in Wales as Hywel Dda Health Board says people will start receiving the Oxford vaccine from next week.

33 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in Ceredigion in today’s figures released by Public Health Wales, with Pembrokeshire recording 34, Carmarthenshire, 104, Powys, 36 and Gwynedd 19.

The figures released today cover a 24 hour period between 30 and 31 December with tomorrow’s figures expected to be higher as they will cover a 48 hour period as no data was released on New Year’s Day.

70 more deaths have been recorded across Wales, taking the total number of fatalities since the pandemic began to 3.564.

Of those deaths, 227 have been in the Hywel Dda region of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire and 594 have been in the Betsi Cadwaladr area of North Wales.

Powys has recorded 34 deaths.

Hywel Dda Health Board has said that so far 7,000 people have received the Pfizer vaccine, but this has been primarily provided to care home staff and NHS workers due to the temperature constraints of the vaccine.

From next week however, the health board will receive initial supplies of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

A small number of GP practices will begin to call people over 80 to receive the Oxford vaccine next week with plans to expand the vaccination process by mid-January to other GP surgeries when the health board receives more doses.

Health and care staff will continue to also be called in for vaccination in the mass centres in Carmarthen and Cardigan.

The health board is also working on setting up more community based vaccination centres to support health board and primary care delivery in Aberystwyth, Llanelli and Haverfordwest, as more vaccine doses are provided.

Chief Executive Steve Moore said: “This pandemic has been such a frightening time for our patients, communities and our NHS and care staff.

“We acknowledge there has been challenge also in starting what is the biggest mass vaccination programme the NHS has ever seen.

"But we are really pleased to have already vaccinated thousands of people in the Hywel Dda area. We are so grateful for the new hope the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine offers our communities.

“It is a far easier vaccine for us to take into our communities and we are grateful to all the teams working together to achieve and expand this programme.

“We would ask our communities to bear with us.

“Please don’t phone your GP or hospital to find out when your vaccine will be, but be reassured that they will call you in at the appropriate time.

"But also please get ready to accept the vaccine when you are offered it. It will offer you great protection from the disease that has so drastically affected all our lives.”