FOR the second day in a row there have been no new coronavirus cases found in Powys.

Public Health Wales figures show the number of confirmed cases in Powys has remained at 353, although the true figure is likely to be higher.

Figures from Public Health Wales relate to cases where coronavirus has been confirmed, and only include people who have died in hospital settings in Wales.

As such, this excludes people who have died in hospitals in England, those who have passed away in care homes, and those who died without having been tested to confirm the presence of coronavirus.

Powys Teaching Health Board has suggested Office for National Statistics (ONS) data to be the most accurate, as it shows deaths where coronavirus may have been present since the epidemic began.

Figures published today by the ONS show there were no one from Powys died with coronavirus in the week leading up to July 17, there have been 93 deaths overall, nine at home, 37 in hospital, and 47 in a care home setting.

Dr Robin Howe, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “On the Public Health Wales surveillance dashboard, please note the weekly update of the hospital cases tabs (hospital admissions, hospital inpatients and hospital onset) has been delayed due to a problem with data transfer. The other dashboard tabs are not affected.

“Face coverings are now mandatory in Wales for people using public transport and taxis.

“Recently the Minister for Health and Social Services announced that anyone arriving in Wales, and the rest of the UK, from Spain (or who has been in Spain during the past 14 days) will now be required to quarantine for 14 days.

“The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated its guidance, advising against all but essential travel to mainland Spain. People currently on holiday in Spain are encouraged to follow the local rules, return home as normal and check the FCO’s travel advice pages on GOV.UK for further information.

“We continue to caution and remind the public and business-owners that we all have a vital role in preventing the spread of Coronavirus by always sticking to social distancing guidelines - staying two metres away from others, and washing hands regularly. When travelling you should also avoid car sharing with people outside your household.

"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.

"Confirmed cases must isolate for seven days, with members of their household isolating for 14 days until the risk of passing on further infection has gone. Combined, these simple but effective actions will ensure the virus does not spread.