New cases of COVID-19 in Wales have gone up to 165 from 150 yesterday but thankfully there have been no new deaths.

North Wales saw 22 new cases up from 15 yesterday. Flintshire and Wrexham recorded 7 new cases each, Denbighshire had 3, with 2 cases each in Conwy and Gwynedd. Anglesey had 1 new case.

The remaining cases in Wales were in the South with Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf areas continuing to show concern.

Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said:

“We are concerned at the significant rise in positive coronavirus cases in the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf areas over the past few days, and our investigations indicate that a lack of social distancing by people of all age groups in a range of different locations has resulted in the spread of the virus to other parts of the population.

“It appears that as lockdown restrictions have eased, people have taken advantage of the greater possibilities for activities, but they seem to have forgotten the importance of social distancing – resulting in possible transmission in the wider community.

“It is clear that the virus spreads more easily in indoor settings, and people should take extra care to socially distance in these cases to keep themselves and their friends and families as safe as possible.

“Public Health Wales supports the restrictions which have been put in place by the Welsh Government and Caerphilly Council. These measures are essential to limit the spread of Coronavirus and bring transmission under control.

“The measures include the mandatory wearing of face coverings in indoor spaces such as shops by everyone over the age of 11, limitations on travel in and out of the county, and only allowing people from different households to meet outdoors, not indoors – this includes extended households.

“Coronavirus can be a very serious illness, especially for older people or those with existing conditions, and a decision to introduce wide ranging restrictions such as these is not taken lightly. We remind the public that they have a vital role in preventing the spread of Coronavirus, and that adhering to these restrictions is of the utmost importance.”

“As children return to schools, I understand that parents will be concerned at reports of positive cases. I would urge you to follow advice from the school or local authority and only withdraw children from school when asked to do so.

"Social distancing measures that are in place are designed to prevent the spread of the disease beyond the ‘bubbles’ established in schools.

“Again it is important that children maintain regular handwashing throughout the day, and on returning home, and parents’ help with this is vital.

“We are now seeing a steady increase in cases in a number of communities across Wales, and our investigations show that many of these have been transmitted due to a lack of social distancing.

“This has resulted in the spread of the virus to other groups of people.

“We continue to appeal to everyone to please remember that, even if you feel that you would not be badly affected by COVID-19 if you were to test positive, should you pass it on to older or more vulnerable family members, friends or colleagues it could be extremely serious and even fatal.

“Coronavirus has not gone away. It remains the responsibility of everyone to help prevent the spread of this virus – that is, by self-isolating when asked to do so, staying two metres away from others, and by washing hands regularly.

“I also want to remind the public that if you have recently travelled outside the UK there may be restrictions on your return – these restrictions may be different in Wales than in other parts of the UK, and now include Portugal and some Greek Islands.

"Advice on travelling abroad, including the latest information on quarantine requirements on returning home, can be found on the Welsh Government and FCO websites.

“Anyone returning to Wales from countries which have been identified as high risk must quarantine in accordance with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regulations even if they are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or have had a negative test result.

"Anyone with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 infection - a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss of smell or taste (anosmia) - must self-isolate and seek an urgent test."