Covid cases are on the rise again across much of England, with places in the Midlands most severely affected.

The recent drop in infections across the country has slowed in recent days and there are signs the pandemic is worsening again, more than three weeks after ‘freedom day.’

Nationally, England saw 20,630 cases on Tuesday – higher than the 19,012 seen the week before.

The latest figures show Peterborough had the biggest week-on-week rise in the seven days to August 6.

It’s been revealed that the city’s vaccine take-up rate is far below the national average with just 69% of eligible people having had one dose and 54% having had two.

City leaders including MP Paul Bristow has called on more to be done to reach people who are hesitant about getting the jab.

Other local authority areas seeing big weekly rises in cases were Oadby and Wigston and Hinckley and Bosworth, both in Leicestershire, as well as Derby and Cambridge.

In Cambridge, hospitalisations at Addenbrooke’s, the area’s largest hospital, have risen to mid-March levels, with around 30 Covid patients being treated on the wards.

The city’s vaccination rate is even lower than neighbouring Peterborough, with just 46.9% of adults double-jabbed.

Top five areas with highest weekly rise in cases

The five areas with the biggest week-on-week rises are:

Peterborough (up from 301.1 to 441.0)

Oadby and Wigston (249.1 to 384.1)

Hinckley and Bosworth (272.2 to 394.2)

Derby (235.1 to 338.1)

Cambridge (322.1 to 423.1)

It appears that the virus is spreading fastest among the younger age groups, with a rate of more than 1,000 per 100,000 among 15 to 19-year-olds in Cambridge.

The latest figures, for the seven days to August 6, are based on the number of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 in either a lab-reported or rapid lateral flow test, by specimen date.

Data for the most recent four days (August 7-10) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 187 (59%) have seen a week-on-week rise in rates, 126 (40%) have seen a fall and two are unchanged.

Top 20 worst affected areas

From left to right: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to August 6; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to August 6; rate of new cases in the seven days to July 30; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to July 30.

Lincoln, 621.4, (617), 716.0, (711)

Exeter, 601.2, (790), 541.1, (711)

Hull, 580.1, (1507), 512.7, (1332)

Mansfield, 499.5, (546), 435.4, (476)

Blackpool, 486.9, (679), 490.5, (684)

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, 486.2, (1922), 507.2, (2005)

Torbay, 482.2, (657), 420.5, (573)

North East Lincolnshire, 478.8, (764), 450.6, (719)

Brighton and Hove, 472.0, (1373), 391.6, (1139)

Sheffield, 466.6, (2729), 470.5, (2752)

Norwich, 452.4, (636), 400.5, (563)

Plymouth, 443.3, (1162), 443.3, (1162)

Peterborough, 441.0, (892), 301.1, (609)

Cambridge, 423.1, (528), 322.1, (402)

Ashfield, 416.7, (533), 335.4, (429)

Bristol, 413.3, (1915), 411.5, (1907)

Blaby, 411.7, (418), 335.9, (341)

North Kesteven, 408.0, (477), 392.6, (459)

Leeds, 404.0, (3204), 388.8, (3084)

Middlesbrough, 403.6, (569), 552.6, (779)

Lincoln continues to have the highest rate, but cases appear to be falling in the city compared to the week before.

Exeter had the second highest rate while Hull had the third.

Health bosses in Lincoln are bringing in new measures to try to drive infections down, including introducing a mobile testing van in the city centre.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article