ALMOST 100 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in North Wales, according to the latest public health data.

Figures released by Public Health Wales reveal that as of February 23, there were a total of 96 new cases confirmed across the region covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

This can be broken down to 11 cases in Wrexham, 22 in Flintshire, 17 in Conwy, 13 in Anglesey, 20 in Gwynedd, and 13 in Denbighshire.

These figures take the total overall number of confirmed cases in the region to date to 32,464.

There have been four new suspected COVID-related deaths across Wales.

To date, the total number of people in Wales who have died after testing positive for coronavirus stands at 5,250.

So far, 1,631,747 people have undergone coronavirus tests in Wales.

Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “Public Health Wales is today confirming four additional cases of the South African variant of Coronavirus in Wales since the previous update on February 17, bringing the total number to 21.

“We have identified a single case of the South African variant as part of routine genomic sequencing in the Flintshire local authority area with no known link to relevant contacts or travel history.

"The individual was self-isolating while symptomatic, and there is no evidence of wider community transmission.

"An investigation is ongoing.

“We have identified an additional positive case of the South African variant in the Conwy local authority area.

"The case has a travel history, and the investigation is ongoing.

“We have identified two additional positive cases in West Wales with a link to relevant contacts.

"These cases are linked with the travel associated cases we confirmed on February 17 in West Wales.

“There remains no evidence of sustained community transmission of the South African variant in Wales.

"Anyone who is a contact of theses case will be contacted through the Test, Trace, Protect process and provided with additional advice for themselves, their household and other contacts.

“There is no evidence that the South African variant causes more serious illness, although there is some evidence that it can spread more easily, and that vaccines - although still effective - may not work quite as well against it.

“Because of the emergence of new more transmissible variants, it is even more vital that we all keep to the lockdown restrictions and do not meet other people."