Are these areas next for lockdown?

SHEFFIELD, Bradford and Kirklees are among the 20 councils in England deemed to be facing the worst coronavirus outbreaks.

These three northern districts have been singled out by the Government as needing ‘enhanced support’ while locked- down Leicester, which still has the highest rates in the country, requires ‘intervention’.

A table, entitled ‘local authority areas of interest’, ranks the 20 areas with the highest infection rates based on testing between June 21 and July 4. Leicester is top with 5.7 per cent of test results coming back positive, followed by Kirklees in West Yorkshire at 5 per cent. Bradford was at 4.3 per cent, and Blackburn with Darwen, in Lancashire, was at 4.9 per cent.

Many areas on the list are typified by having high rates of deprivation, a larger proportion of BAME groups – who are more at risk of the virus – and denser housing.

Sheffield was labelled as needing ‘enhanced support’ even though it is 15th on the list and only 2.8 per cent of tests have come back positive. But, as the fifth largest city in the UK, it has potential for a major outbreak.

The chart – compiled by Public Health England and seen by The Observer – says Leicester and the three districts needing extra support are under investigation by local health teams.