Covid case rates rising in two-thirds of all local areas in England

Christmas shoppers walk past a coronavirus Tier 3 Very High Alert sign in Leeds as figures show rates are rising. Credit: PA

Covid-19 case rates are rising in two-thirds of all local areas in England, the latest data shows.

Figures reveal the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of the virus for every local authority area in England.

The figures, for the seven days to December 9, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent four days (December 10-13) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

(PA Graphics) Credit: PA Graphics

Of the 315 local areas in England, 208 have seen a rise in case rates, 105 have seen a fall, and two areas are unchanged.

Swale in Kent continues to have the highest rate in England, with 951 new cases recorded in the seven days to December 9 – the equivalent of 633.7 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 579.7 in the seven days to December 2.

Medway, also in Kent, has the second highest rate, up from 605.6 to 613.9, with 1,710 new cases.

Basildon in Essex is in third place, where the rate has risen sharply from 372.9 to 613.8, with 1,149 new cases.

Aside from Basildon, the areas with the biggest week-on-week jumps are Hastings (up from 114.4 to 370.2, with 343 new cases); Ashford (up from 206.9 to 452.2, with 588 new cases); and Canterbury (up from 264.2 to 469.8, with 777 new cases).

(PA Graphics) Credit: PA Graphics

The list has been calculated by the PA news agency, based on Public Health England data published on December 13 on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

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