The 18 areas where Covid cases still rising – as interactive map lets you check YOUR local rates
THIS interactive map reveals how many daily coronavirus cases there are in your area, and how they have changed in one week.
It comes as different data sets disagree on whether the Covid outbreak has improved yet during the third lockdown.
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The map above shows how the outbreak has changed in every authority across the UK in the days January 8 to January 15.
The data is from the Government coronavirus dashboard, based on positive Covid tests, and shows that 18 of the 381 local authorities in the UK have seen an increase in cases.
The largest jump was recorded in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the council area of Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland.
Its cases per 100,000 soared from 18.7 to 108.5, a rise of 480.21 per cent.
Second was Gwynedd in Wales, where cases grew 20.64 per cent from 171 to 206.3 per 100,000.
And third was West Devon, where cases rose 19.19 per cent from 130.8 to 155.9.
Blaenau Gwent, Derry City and Strabane, Epping Forest and Brentwood saw the largest decreases in cases, of more than 50 per cent.
Looking at England alone, Public Health England data shows 94 per cent of authorities have seen a decline in cases in the past seven days, according to PA analysis.
Where have cases increased?
- Comhairle nan Eilean Siar: 480.21%
- Gwynedd: 20.64%
- West Devon: 19.19%
- Erewash: 17.44%
- Preston: 14.72%
- South Holland: 11.26%
- Ryedale: 10.07%
- Plymouth: 8.95%
- Somerset West and Taunton: 6.04%
- North West Leicestershire: 6.02%
- Malvern Hills: 5.56%
- South Ribble: 4.88%
- Mansfield: 3.74%
- Clackmannanshire: 2.98%
- North Somerset: 2.38%
- Charnwood: 2.30%
- Redditch: 1.60%
- Bolton: 0.62%
60,000 new cases a day
It comes as analysts say around 65,000 people in England are catching Covid-19 each day.
Cases dropped from 87,451 on January 5, when the lockdown started, according to consultancy firm Lane Clark and Peacock (LCP).
However, LCP estimates daily Covid cases have stayed stable for a while - and even went up from 62,552 on January 14.
Their projections are based on Public Health England data and weekly Office for National Statistics surveillance data, and reflect the number of confirmed cases from symptomatic people who get tested.
An interactive based on their estimates allows users to see a detailed breakdown of cases in each authority of England, going as far back as July.
'No change' in cases
The LCP model, which is not government funded and does not feed into scientific advice to ministers, suggests improvements made in the first week of lockdown have now stalled.
However,, led by Imperial College London, reported last night that coronavirus cases did not fall during the first 10 days of England's third lockdown.
Random swabbing of 142,000 people between January 6 and January 15 found "no evidence" of a decline in cases.
It said 1.58 per cent of people in England, or one in 65, were infected with Covid-19 in that 10-day spell.
Experts also estimated that the national R rate is 1.04, meaning the epidemic is still growing. The R number must be below 1 in order for the outbreak to shrink.
Professor Paul Elliot, who is leading the REACT study, suggested the current measures may not be strict enough to see a drop in infections and the reproductive rate.
Scientists think the new, more contagious mutation may be to blame, and warn infections may not fall unless we do more.
The estimates are in stark contrast to official Department of Health statistics, which suggest Britain's outbreak has shrunk every day for almost a fortnight.
Yesterday 38,900 people were reported to have tested positive for the disease, down on the 42,670 reported on January 13.
This is based on positive Covid test results and does not include asymptomatic cases - as the Imperial research does.
The Government said the REACT study does not yet take full account of the current lockdown measures.
Where are cases highest?
According to the Government dashboard, Knowsley in Merseyside currently has the highest infection rate in England, with 1,135.5 new cases per 100,000 people in the week to January 15, down 22 per cent in a week.
Slough in Berkshire, which had earlier this week been praised by Health Secretary Matt Hancock for its vaccine rollout, has the second highest rate, at 1,029.8, down 11 per cent in a week.
Barking & Dagenham in London is in third place, with 965.7 new cases per 100,000 people, an improvement of 41 per cent in seven days.
It means no borough in London has cases above 1,000 per 100,000 people, as has been the case for many weeks.
Looking at England alone, the ten places with the highest jumps in cases include West Devon, Erewash and Preston.
Their case rates are still well below the hotspot of Knowsley, however, at 155.9, 473.3, and 512.1, respectively.
It comes as Britain suffered its deadliest day since the coronavirus pandemic began with 1,820 reported deaths on Wednesday.
Official statistics now show that 3,505754 people have been diagnosed with the virus in Britain since the pandemic began last year.
And the total death toll has now reached a tragic 93,290.
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As a result, government ministers have warned that the UK was "a long way off" from lifting current lockdown restrictions.
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Home Secretary Priti Patel said that it was "far too early" to speculate when measures will be eased.
She said: "We have a long way to go which is why you see me out with the police talking about the work we constantly do around compliance and enforcement."
