Region has just one hotspot

ONLY one area of the North East is now on the top 50 coronavirus hotspot list.

New data released by Public Health England shows the centre of the pandemic has shifted south in recent months, South Tyneside remaining the only part of our region to take a place in the unenviable chart.

In September and October northern cities, including Liverpool and Manchester, were placed under stricter measures than their southern counterparts in a bid to lower soaring infection rates.

Following the second national lockdown, which started in November, the North East was one of the areas of the country to be placed under the strictest Tier Three restrictions.

South Tyneside is now ranked at number 38 on the list of areas with the worst infection rates in England.

The area, which includes the towns of South Shields, Jarrow and Hebburn, had 411 new cases in the seven days up to December 9, a rate of 272.2 cases per 100,000 people.

The worst hit area in the country is Swale, a part of east Kent, where there were 951 new cases recorded in the same period – which is equivalent of 633.7 cases per 100,000 people.

All but one of the ten worst-hit areas are in London, Kent or Essex.

The movement of the centre of the pandemic in England from the north to the south has been occurring slowly over the past two months.

Four weeks ago Bristol became the first city in the south to top the infection rate list.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 208 have seen a rise in case rates, 105 have seen a fall and two areas are unchanged.

Medway, also in Kent, has the second highest rate – up from 605.6 to 613.9, with 1,710 new cases.

Basildon in Essex is in third place, where the rate has risen sharply from 372.9 to 613.8, with 1,149 new cases.

Aside from Basildon, the areas with the biggest week-on-week jumps are Hastings (up from 114.4 to 370.2, with 343 new cases); Ashford (up from 206.9 to 452.2, with 588 new cases); and Canterbury (up from 264.2 to 469.8, with 777 new cases).