143 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the Hywel Dda Health Board area today, Saturday, December 5.

THERE have been 82 new cases reported in Carmarthenshire, 32 in Ceredigion and 29 in Pembrokeshire.

This brings the rolling weekly total reported by Public Health Wales to 764 in the three counties: 459 in Carmarthenshire, 112 in Ceredigion and 193 in Pembrokeshire.

There has now been a total of 5,566 cases in the Hywel Dda health board area throughout the pandemic.

There have been a total of 3,762 cases in Carmarthenshire, 683 cases in Ceredigion and 1,121 in Pembrokeshire.

These figures bring the total number of coronavirus cases in Wales to 87,077 with 1,654 cases newly reported today.

There has been a total of 2,695 Covid-19 related deaths in Wales to date, 24 of these were newly reported today.

Dr Chris Williams, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said:

"New Welsh Government restrictions come into force at 6pm yesterday, covering travel and the hospitality sector.

"People living in Wales cannot travel to areas of England in tier three or areas of Scotland in level three or above. In these circumstances, travel out of Wales is only allowed under limited circumstances, such as for work or education.

"People you don't live with cannot come into your home, unless you have formed an extended household (or "bubble") with them (except in very limited circumstances).

"Pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes will need to close at 6pm apart from takeaway services, and will not be able to serve alcohol.

"Indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, bingo halls, soft play centres and bowling alleys must close from the same date, as must indoor visitor attractions such as museums, galleries and heritage sites.

"It is now clear from the data that the Coronavirus cases are rising in most parts of Wales, reversing the downward trend we had observed as a result of the fire break.

"We ask the public to observe the regulations and to limit their contact with other people as much as possible so that we all work together to bring the numbers of positive cases down.

"This means staying out of other people's homes, limiting the times and the numbers of people that you meet, maintaining social distancing and hand hygiene, working from home if you can, and self-isolating if you show symptoms of coronavirus or are asked to do so by contact tracers.

"Public Health Wales urges everyone to follow the rules, to avoid transmission of Coronavirus and to protect everyone in our communities, including the most vulnerable.

"The festive period is important for people across Wales who want to be with loved ones during the holidays, particularly after a very difficult year, but we would remind everyone that we must each continue to take personal responsibility to limit the spread of the virus and protect our loved ones, particularly if they are vulnerable or extremely vulnerable. For many, this will mean that it isn't possible to celebrate Christmas in the way you normally would.

"We understand that people will want to do their Christmas shopping at this time of year. We would suggest to try to visit shops during off-peak times, to always maintain social distancing and to wear a face covering if you can. Options such as 'click and collect' or online purchasing may also be something to consider.