Bedford, Peterborough and Northampton in top 20 UK areas with highest Covid-19 rates

070720 face mask
The figures are based on tests that have been carried out both in laboratories and in the wider community. Credit: PA Images

Bedford, Peterborough and Northampton are among the top 20 UK areas with the highest rates for coronavirus.

Figures for the week ending July 5 placed Bedford at number 11, Peterborough at 14 and Northampton came 15th.

Meanwhile, Harborough came 18th, Kettering came 22nd and St Albans came 24th narrowly avoiding the top 20.

The figures are based on tests that have been carried out both in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate for each area is expressed as the new number of new cases per 100,000 population.

The lists are based on the latest Public Health England figures updated on July 8 on the government's coronavirus online dashboard.

Peterborough is one of the areas of England which saw the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the week to 5th July. Credit: ITV News Anglia

The list shows the 25 local authorities with the highest rate in the week to July 5, and in brackets the equivalent figure for the previous week ending June 28:

1. Leicester 124.7 (143.9)

2. Rochdale 33.2 (37.7)

3. Bradford 33.0 (49.1)

4. Kirklees 32.4 (27.6)

5. Oadby & Wigston 29.8 (56.1)

6. Blackburn with Darwen 26.2 (24.2)

7. Blaby 25.9 (18.9)

8. Ashford 24.8 (27.8)

9. Folkestone & Hythe 24.0 (24.0)

10. Rotherham 22.3 (28.0)

11. Bedford 21.0 (21.0)

12. Oldham 20.4 (31.4)

13. Barnsley 18.8 (40.0)

14. Peterborough 18.4 (22.9)

15. Northampton 17.8 (15.5)

16. Bolton 16.8 (23.8)

17. Dover 16.2 (10.3)

18. Harborough 16.2 (10.8)

19. Sheffield 16.0 (25.4)

20. Carlisle 15.7 (10.1)

21. Melton 15.7 (9.8)

22. Kettering 13.8 (10.9)

23. Charnwood 13.7 (13.7)

24. St Albans 13.6 (6.8)

25. Hinckley & Bosworth 13.3 (15.1)

Bury Sy Edmunds is in West Suffolk, one of the areas that has been the steepest week-on-week rises in coronavirus cases. Credit: ITV News Anglia

A second list shows the 25 local authorities with the biggest week-on-week numerical increase in the rate of new cases.

St Albans came second on this chart with Harborough 8th, West Suffolk 10th and Welwyn Hatfield was 13th.

The first number is the rate for the week ending July 5, and the number in brackets is the rate for the week ending June 28.

1. Blaby 25.9 (18.9)

2. St Albans 13.6 (6.8)

3. Aylesbury Vale 9.0 (2.5)

4. Crawley 11.6 (5.3)

5. Dover 16.2 (10.3)

6. Melton 15.7 (9.8)

7. Carlisle 15.7 (10.1)

8. Harborough 16.2 (10.8)

9. Watford 7.2 (2.1)

10. West Suffolk 5.6 (0.6)

11. Fylde 8.8 (3.8)

12. Ribble Valley 11.7 (6.7)

13. Welwyn Hatfield 5.7 (0.8)

14. Kirklees 32.4 (27.6)

15. Cherwell 7.4 (2.7)

16. Tandridge 5.7 (1.1)

17. Boston 8.6 (4.3)

18. Tewkesbury 5.4 (1.1)

19. Cannock Chase 10.0 (6.0)

20. Southampton 4.7 (0.8)

21. Woking 11.9 (7.9)

22. Redbridge 5.9 (2.0)

23. Chesterfield 5.7 (1.9)

24. Hackney & City of London 5.5 (1.7)

25. Rugby 7.5 (3.7)

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know