THE CASE rate in Torfaen has shot up once again, after 186 new cases were recorded in the past seven days.

Public Health Wales now have Torfaen’s rolling weekly case rate - up to August 12 - at 198 per 100,000 people.

This figure had fallen to 117.1 per 100,000 people in last week’s figures - to August 5.

Torfaen is not the only local authority to see its figures rise.

Only the heavily populated Cardiff (549) and Swansea (446), as well as Rhondda Cynon Taf (438), have seen more new cases in the seven days covered by the latest figures than in Newport (384).

Caerphilly has also seen a sharp rise in cases - 252 in the past week.

Monmouthshire (143) and Blaenau Gwent (112) both recorded fewer new cases than in Torfaen.

In the seven days covered by the latest figures, only Merthyr Tydfil (74) and Anglesey (96) did not record new cases numbering in triple figures.

Torfaen’s rolling weekly case rate is once again the second highest in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board region, and the eighth highest in Wales.

Newport has the highest case rate in the region - 248.3 - the third highest in Wales.

Blaenau Gwent’s case rate is 160.3 and Monmouthshire’s is 151.2 - the tenth and eighth lowest across Wales.

Caerphilly’s case rate is 139.2 - the fourth lowest in Wales.

Overall, the Wales-wide case rate now stands at 184.3, rising from the 135.7 figure last week (for the seven days up to August 5).

Of course, a rise in figures was expected, with Wales moving to alert level zero on August 7, meaning an end to restrictions on meeting people, the opening up of all businesses - including nightclubs, and social distancing no longer being a legal requirement.

One person has died with coronavirus over the past week in Gwent, with the death toll now at 971.

2,316,668 people have had their first vaccination and 2,146,391 have had both jabs in Wales.