Coronavirus death toll in Wales exceeds 1,000

The coronavirus death toll in Wales has exceeded 1,000, Public Health Wales has confirmed.

Making the announcement on Tuesday (May 5), PHW confirmed the total now stands at 1,023 after a further 26 deaths were reported.

The number of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 in Wales has reached 10,669.

However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), says the total number of deaths in Wales had actually reached 1,376 by April 24. The figure includes deaths at home, as well as in care homes, hospices, and hospitals.

ONS figures also reveal 29,648 people had died in England and Wales with coronavirus recorded on their death certificates by Saturday, May 2.

This exceeds the number of deaths in Italy, the first European nation to be hit hard by the virus, where the death toll stands at 29,029.

With figures from Scotland and Northern Ireland added, the UK’s reported death rate exceeds 32,000.

The UK now has the second highest number of deaths in the world, behind only the United States.

Speaking at the Welsh Government daily press briefing on Tuesday (May 5) health minister Vaughan Gething AM announced that letters would be sent out to “high risk” residents in Wales, urging them to stay at home until at least June 15.