Covid case rates at record high in one in six areas of England

Around one in six areas in England are now reporting record levels of Covid infections, new figures show.

Nearly every local authority in the northeast of England, close to a half in the southwest and approaching a third in Yorkshire and the Humber were on the list of areas with record-breaking rates.

Redcar & Cleveland currently has 1,268 cases per 100,000 people – the highest anywhere in England. That is lower than the 1,359 cases per 100,000 recorded in South Tyneside in the week to 8 July, which was previously the worst hit authority.

Every local area in the country is now recording Covid rates above 100 cases per 100,000 people for the first time since early January, when the second wave was at its peak.

Analysis by the Press Association revealed that around 50 of the 315 local authority areas in England (16 per cent) are reporting rates of Covid higher than any point since mass testing began.

Eight of these are in north-east England: Redcar & Cleveland (1268.0 cases per 100,000 people - the highest anywhere in England); Middlesbrough (1,178.9); Hartlepool (1,061.3); Sunderland (1,036.7); Stockton-on-Tees (944.5); Darlington (863.3); County Durham (783.3); and Northumberland (674.6).

In neighbouring Yorkshire & the Humber, six areas currently have record rates: Doncaster (729.1), Wakefield (667.2), Leeds (599.4), Richmondshire (575.1), Hambleton (552.4) and East Riding of Yorkshire (517.9).

All rates are for the seven days to 14 July, with case data for 15-18 July excluded as it is incomplete.

England's overall rate of new cases currently stands at 425.3 per 100,000 people: the highest since 19 January.

The highly respected epidemiologist, Neil Ferguson, said on Sunday it was “almost inevitable” that daily infection rates will hit a record 100,000 within weeks, and said the pandemic could spike at more than 200,000 positive cases a day.

“I think it’s almost certain we’ll get to 1,000 hospitalisations per day,” he said. “It’ll almost certainly get to 100,000 cases a day.

“The real question is, do we get to double that or even higher? And that’s where the crystal ball starts to fail. We could get to 2,000 hospitalisations a day, 200,000 cases a day, but it’s much less certain.”

The warning comes as data revealed the third wave was also having a growing impact on hospitals.

The number of Covid patients in some major hospital trusts in England has climbed back to around a third of the level seen at the peak of the second wave of the virus.

South Tyneside & Sunderland Foundation Trust reported 78 patients with Covid-19 on July 13 - the equivalent of 31 per cent of its second-wave peak of 251.

The neighbouring Gateshead Health Foundation Trust reported 43 Covid-19 patients on the same day, or 30 per cent of its second-wave peak of 141.

Levels are even higher in two of the largest trusts in north-west England.

Bolton Foundation Trust had 58 Covid-19 patients in hospital on July 13, 36 per cent of its second-wave peak, while Manchester University Foundation Trust had 146 patients, 38 per cent of its second-wave peak.

Eight local authority areas in north-west England are currently recording record-high case rates: Blackpool, Chorley, Copeland, Fylde, Rochdale, South Lakeland, Stockport and Wyre.

In south-west England there are 13 areas with rates at a record high: Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, East Devon, Mendip, Mid Devon, North Devon, North Somerset, Plymouth, South Gloucestershire, South Hams, South Somerset, Torbay and Torridge.

There are 10 in the East Midlands: Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash, Gedling, High Peak, Newark & Sherwood, North East Derbyshire, North West Leicestershire and Rushcliffe.

And there are five in the West Midlands: Newcastle-under-Lyme, North Warwickshire, Solihull, Staffordshire Moorlands and Warwick.

Additional reporting by PA