Newcastle is England’s new coronavirus hotspot, Public Health England confirms as infection rates surge in Merseyside and Manchester
- Knowsley and Liverpool are the second and third worst-hit areas in England
- But Bolton, which was at the heart of the outbreak, has seen a ten per cent drop
- No boroughs in London are in the top 50 most infected areas in England
Newcastle is now at the epicentre of England’s coronavirus after infections in the city spiralled by 60 per cent to a rate of 250 cases per 100,000, health officials have revealed.
And surging infections in the North West have pushed Knowsley and Liverpool to second and third worst-affected in the country after a 50 per cent jump in cases in both cities. They now have 246 and 239 cases per 100,000, respectively.
But Bolton, which was at the heart of England’s outbreak for four weeks, has dropped out of the top five after seeing a 10 per cent fall in cases to 180 per 100,000.
The fall in the Greater Manchester town suggests stringent Covid-19 restrictions have begun to take effect, offering a glimmer of hope for other regions facing draconian measures.
Despite warnings of further restrictions, London has no boroughs in the top 50 most infected areas in England, highlighting England’s North-South coronavirus divide. Redbridge has the highest rate at 56 cases per 100,000, after the local authority recorded a 40 per cent spike in infections.
The Public Health England data is based on Covid-19 swabs carried out across the country between August 21 and September 27, and daily indicators up to September 29, which reveal up to one in 14 tests are now positive. Experts fear infections across the country could be higher than the numbers suggest.
All England’s top ten coronavirus hotspots are in the North, revealing its North-South divide
This map reveals areas that have seen the fastest growth in coronavirus cases, with the North seeing the fastest spread alongside some areas of London
Manchester was the fourth biggest hotspot in the country, the data reveals, after cases rose 35 per cent to 200 per 100,000.
And St Helens, in Merseyside, shot up to the fifth most infected area in England after it saw an 82 per cent rise in infections which pushed its rate to 200 per 100,000.
As the country reeled from mounting Covid-19 infections:
- Halton, in Cheshire, rose to sixth place in the UK after cases spiked 22 per cent to 195 per 100,000;
- Sunderland hit eight position, behind Bolton, after a 41 per cent spike took it to 172 cases per 100,000;
- Sefton, in Merseyside, was next with a 63 per cent spike taking its case rate to 167 per 100,000, while Bury, in Greater Manchester, came tenth with a six per cent rise and 166 per 100,000;
- Middlesbrough recorded one of the highest rises in coronavirus cases in the country after infections shot up 136 per cent to 116 per 100,000;
- Darlington also saw its infections leap by 210 per cent, taking its case rate to 90 per 100,000.
The lowest levels of infection were seen on the Isle of Wight, where the NHS Covid app was first trialled. Its rate stands at 4 per 100,000. The second lowest was Suffolk, with 6.1 cases per 100,000, followed by Dorset, with 7.7 per 100,000.
The Government and local health authorities have clamped down with tightened coronavirus restrictions in areas with higher cases, in a desperate attempt to curb spiralling infections.
Liverpool, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough became the latest cities to face tighter lockdown restrictions yesterday as officials attempted to put a lid on mounting cases.
The rules require people not to attend professional or amateur sporting events, not travel unless essential – such as to school or work – and not to visit care homes except in exceptional circumstances.
The regions follow much of the North West and North East in tightening restrictions amid an ever-growing outbreak in the North of England.
