Public Health Wales report 88 coronavirus deaths in North Wales health board area

Today’s Public Health Wales update has revealed for the first time the number of health board area reported deaths in North Wales attributed to the coronavirus.

Sadly there were also further 26 deaths reported today by Public Health Wales bringing the total deaths in Wales to 751 people.

Up until today the number of deaths in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area that covers North Wales was not declared, with a note stating that the figures were ‘suppressed if the number of deaths is 5 or lower’, in order to prevent individual deaths from being identifiable.

Today a figure has been released, with Public Health Wales explaining the huge jump, “The new figure for total deaths reported today includes 84 retrospective deaths which occurred between 20.03.2020 and 22.04.2020 in one health board. The sudden increase in numbers is due to a delay in the reporting process.”

The figures only include deaths occurring in individuals who were laboratory confirmed with COVID-19, with it explained: “The majority of deaths reported here occurred in hospital settings, however a proportion occurred in care home settings. The figures do not include individuals who may have died from COVID-19 but who were not confirmed by laboratory testing. The true number of COVID-19 deaths will be higher.”

Today’s data states there were 1,027 coronavirus tests across Wales yesterday well under capacity of the testing system.

Below is a graph of North Wales testing up to the 19th of April: