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The number of people who died with coronavirus in Wales increased by 22 to 1,154.
Public Health Wales (PHW) has also announced that 133 more people have tested positive for the virus to bring the overall total to 11,706.
However, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which unlike PHW statistics include deaths in the community and care homes, have already reported 1,641 deaths as of May 1.
PHW also announced that 1,087 tests for Covid-19 were conducted Tuesday, with a total of 51,863 since the outbreak began.
This map shows the areas of Wales with the most cases in the last week
The latest PHW figures were announced after a press conference by Finance Minister Ken Skates, who gave an update on the financial situation in Wales.
He said the magnitude of the economic challenge facing Wales was “enormous at best,” with a strong impact on revenue and activity, if it did not stop entirely.
He then added that the UK government did the right thing by introducing the licensing plan when they did, allowing much of the economy to “hibernate through the crisis.”
The minister admitted that none of the delegated governments had the “fiscal firepower” to lend the support it is providing.
Skates said Wales has a higher proportion of companies applying for the license plan than across the border.
He confirmed that 74% of companies in Wales, compared to 67% in England, 72% in Scotland and 65% in Northern Ireland, had adopted the scheme.
The minister said there was now “a lot of work to be done” with the UK government to work out the details of the next phase of the scheme and prepare companies for after it has finished.
This table shows how the number of diagnosed cases has fluctuated every day.
This shows how the number of daily deaths has fluctuated
He called on the UK government to “significantly” involve delegated administrations in the “transition to life” discussions after the next phase of the workers’ leave plan.
“An important part of those discussions will be the need for continued support for those companies that cannot operate,” he said.
“Tourism and hospitality were the first to close and will need support longer.”
During the press conference, Mr Skates claimed that the Welsh Government had been able to finance the most generous and comprehensive package for companies anywhere in the UK.
However, he said this is only a “supplement” to the job retention scheme, not an alternative.
He warned that a “less generous” scheme runs the risk of understanding the “fragile state” of the closure.
And when it comes to transportation, Skates said the overall message remains the same: stay home and just travel and wherever absolutely necessary.
“Although the first peak of infection has passed and continues to drop, it is still too early to lift any significant restrictions,” he said.
“But it is important that we prepare for the future that awaits us.”
Skates said he will meet later on Wednesday with Transport for Wales and the transport unions to discuss guidelines for a “new normal.”
He acknowledged that there have been calls from outside Wales for people to avoid public transport, but that “it certainly was not our message here in Wales.”
He warned that this “would cause social justice problems” in the short term, as one in five people does not own a car in Wales.
Skates said that some of the measures that were discussed were:
- prioritize the use of public transport for key workers;
- encouraging pre-booking;
- amazing patterns of change in the public sector;
- encourage companies to support remote work;
- promoting greater advance booking of trips.
These measures, they said, will need understanding across the public sector, businesses and unions.
When asked what his message was to the poorest communities in Wales, Skates said they are “above all in our minds as we shape recovery from the crisis.”
He said that the government must ensure that people are empowered and have every possible opportunity to make a better future for themselves.
Ken Skates said he will meet Thursday with the Social Association Council to gather guidance for working safer in all sectors of the Welsh economy.
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