Covid-19 is on the rise in nearly every part of city
COVID-19 cases are rising in almost every part of Newcastle.
Analysis by The Chronicle shows infections are currently falling in just six areas, as the city’s infection rate soars.
The city’s overall rate went up by around 44% in a week, and is now rising faster than anywhere else in the region.
It comes after Boris Johnson effectively cancelled Christmas for millions of Brits amid fears a new mutant strain is spreading fast in parts of England.
Six of the North East’s councils have told The Chronicle in recent days that they are not currently aware of any cases linked to the new strain in our region.
It has been found in at least 60 council areas so far, with the vast majority in London and south-east England. Officials in Wales revealed on Sunday that it was also now “seeded” in every part of their country too.
Much of southern England was placed in the newly formed Tier 4 on Saturday during a televised press conference by Mr Johnson, leaving millions of people facing restrictions akin to a full national lockdown.
The North East remains in Tier 3, although families will now only be permitted to meet on one day – Christmas Day itself – rather than across five days.
The rising rates will raise concerns that the area could be heading towards tougher restrictions.
The figures are given in the table on the right, and the most crucial one locally is still the infection rate, which gives an indication of just how prevalent the virus is in a certain area.
While cases are increasing quickest in Throckley and Newburn, the infection rate there currently isn’t as high as in Walker.
Context is also crucial. While cases have doubled in South Jesmond and Sandyford last week, the area has a lower infection rate. A handful of cases can cause what appears on the surface to be a dramatic increase in the infection rate.
Conversely, while Lemington’s 7.4% increase is one of the smallest in the city, but the area’s infection rate is actually one of the highest.
The data is for the seven days to December 14, and is taken from the Government’s Covid-19 data map. The figures in brackets show the number of cases that week followed by the number of infections for every 100,000 residents.