Covid levels return to a high

LANCASHIRE’S Covid levels have reached their highest point in some months amid the spread of the Omicron variant BA.2, although localised data is likely to tell only part of the story due to the high volumes of people not reporting themselves as positive as restrictions relax.

Across the UK as a whole, 3.3million people were estimated to have coronavirus last week, up from 2.6million the previous week, said the Office for National Statistics.

This is still some way below levels at the start of the year, when 4.3million people were likely to have had the virus. But it is further evidence that Covid19 is becoming more prevalent across most of the country, and comes as the number of people in hospital with the virus is rising.

The survey used for the above data is far more representative of the level of Covid-19 in the UK than the number of cases announced each day by the Government, which includes only those people who have reported themselves as testing positive for the virus, and is affected by how many people are coming forward for tests or who are taking a test because they know they have coronavirus symptoms.

As a result, the actual figures provided below will be some way short of the total due to the number of people estimated to have coronavirus without reporting it currently.

It does, however, provide a guide as to where the virus spread is at its highest and lowest levels.

In Ormskirk North & West 74 cases were recorded, a rate of 881.3 cases per 100,000 people for a 7-day period ending on March 13.

In Aughton 67 cases were recorded, a rate of 838.7 cases per 100,000 people for a 7-day period ending on March 13.

Case rate per 100,000 people for 7-day period ending on March 13 at borough level and the week-on-week change

Vulnerable people in England began receiving invitations for the spring Covid booster on Monday, with over-75s and those who are immunosuppressed able to book.

The booster will be made available to five million people, with 600,000 expected to receive invitations in the first week.