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Covid vaccine: Thousands in Wales have had jab since Tuesday

Nurse Bethan Cox: "There's a lot of hope out there now"

Thousands of people in Wales have received the Covid-19 vaccination since the rollout began on Tuesday, health bosses have confirmed.

Five out of Wales' seven health boards said a total of 3,973 people had been given the vaccine by Friday morning.

NHS and care workers and people over 80 are the first to receive the jab.

About 40,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are in the first batch being administered in Wales, the Welsh Government has said.

That is enough for about 20,000 people to receive a follow-up dose.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething has warned it could take months before some people receive the vaccination.

On Friday, Public Health Wales' published data showing 2,234 more people had tested positive for Covid-19, taking the total to 98,232 since the pandemic began.

It said a further 29 people have died with coronavirus, taking the total to 2,818.

A post-Christmas lockdown will come into force if Covid cases do not begin to fall, First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned.

Merthyr Tydfil has the highest case rate - 764.2 cases for every 100,000 people, close to its highest.

It is followed by Neath Port Talbot with 718.9 and Newport, with 634.9 cases per 100,000, over the past week, compared with the all-Wales average of 403.8.

Dr Robin Howe, from Public Health Wales, said: "If we are to have meaningful and safe interactions within the permitted exclusive Christmas 'bubble', then everyone should immediately start to limit their interactions with other as much as possible in the lead up to the festive period."