HERE are the latest figures for the seven-day rate of new Covid-19 cases for every local authority area in Wales.

The figures, for the seven days to December 15, are based on tests carried out in NHS Wales laboratories and those conducted on Welsh residents processed in commercial laboratories.

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent four days (December 16-19) has been excluded as it is incomplete and understates the true number of cases.

Rates have risen in 21 of the 22 local authority areas.

The biggest rises are in Bridgend and Merthyr Tydfil, which both have rates of more than 1,000 per 100,000 people for the seven days to December 15.

Merthyr Tydfil has the highest rate at 1,216.7 – up from 795.7 in the week to December 8.

Bridgend has the second highest rate, having risen from 626.3 to 1,070.4, with 1,574 new cases.

Blaenau Gwent is in third place where the rate has increased from 614.1 to 980.5, with 685 new cases.

Here in the North, Wrexham has the highest rate at 418.5 - up from 238.3 the previous week.

The rise in Flintshire was much smaller, rising from 203.7 to 241.5.

The only area in the whole of Wales where rates are falling is Conwy, where it dropped from 93.0 to 84.5, with 99 new cases.

Latest seven-day rate of new coronavirus cases by local authority area:

From left to right, the list reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to December 15; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to December 15; rate of new cases in the seven days to December 8; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to December 8.

  • Merthyr Tydfil, 1,216.7, (734), 795.7, (480)
  • Bridgend, 1,070.4, (1574), 626.3, (921)
  • Blaenau Gwent, 980.5, (685), 614.1, (429)
  • Newport, 869.6, (1,345), 655.6, (1,014)
  • Neath Port Talbot, 864.5, (1,239), 769.6, (1,103)
  • Rhondda Cynon Taf, 852.6, (2,057), 586.5, (1,415)
  • Caerphilly, 850.5, (1,540), 625.7, (1,133)
  • Torfaen, 825.9, (776), 515.1, (484)
  • Swansea, 746.6, (1,844), 625.5, (1,545)
  • Carmarthenshire, 715.7, (1,351), 381.9, (721)
  • Cardiff, 648.4, (2,379), 467.4, (1,715)
  • Vale of Glamorgan, 566.7, (757), 303.9, (406)
  • Monmouthshire, 467.3, (442), 338.3, (320)
  • Wrexham, 418.5, (569), 238.3, (324)
  • Pembrokeshire, 257.5, (324), 182.0, (229)
  • Flintshire, 241.5, (377), 203.7, (318)
  • Ceredigion, 217.3, (158), 207.7, (151)
  • Powys, 214.4, (284), 126.1, (167)
  • Denbighshire, 155.7, (149), 105.5, (101)
  • Conwy, 84.5, (99), 93.0, (109)
  • Gwynedd, 77.1, (96), 47.4, (59)
  • Isle of Anglesey, 40.0, (28), 38.5, (27)