As no new confirmed cases of Covid-19 were confirmed over the past 24 hours in Powys, concerns are still being raised about the accuracy of figures being released by Public Health Wales.
There is a huge difference between the numbers of Covid-19 linked Powys deaths being reported by PHW (13) and the Office for National Statistics (84).
Due to Powys not having a district general hospital, many patients have been treated outside the county at hospitals including Aberystwyth’s Bronglais, Nevill Hall in Abergavenny, The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and Hereford County Hospital.
Newtown Powys County Councillor Joy Jones said she has been contacted by many residents about the figures.
She said: “With no true figures many people think there’s no real threat in this area. People tell me they think there is no problem here because of the low numbers reported.
“It needs to be explained that there is a big difference in the data so that people understand that it’s still a huge problem here.”
MyWelshpool has stopped using the PHW figures for several weeks, and even Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) want to see the ONS figure used.
Adrian Osborne of PTHB said: “We recognise that some people have been confused about the different ways that COVID-19 is published by different national bodies in England and Wales.
“We would therefore encourage people in Powys and the media to refer to the ONS as the most comprehensive source of COVID-19-related death statistics.
“They report on all registered deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
“This includes everyone who has died with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and it includes information about Powys residents who have sadly died in England.”
The OSN’s 84 registered Covid-19 linked deaths include 34 people in hospitals, 45 people in care homes, and five in private homes.
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporting Service
