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Newport now has the fourth highest Covid-19 rate in Wales
A bank holiday weekend party appears to be “at the heart” of a rapid rise in cases in Newport, Wales’ Health Minister Vaughan Gething has said.
The party led to 18 new cases of coronavirus, with infected people then visiting other venues on nights out.
People in Newport have been warned to look out for symptoms if they visited seven pubs and bars in the city on specific dates in September.
Newport has the fourth highest Covid-19 rate in Wales.
The comments come on the same day that face masks became compulsory in shops in Wales.
Mr Gething said the rise in cases in Newport had been similar to that seen in Caerphilly county borough, which is now in a local lockdown.
“At the heart of it appears to be a party over the bank holiday weekend, which led to 18 new cases of coronavirus, many of whom visited other venues on nights out while infectious.”
The outbreak in Caerphilly had been also pinned in part on individuals socialising in people’s homes.
At a Welsh Government press conference, Mr Gething said it could be two weeks before a peak is seen in Caerphilly, and more people in their 40s and 50s are testing positive there.