Doncaster named as Covid hotspot as latest figures show slight rise in cases

Figures from Public Health England show that 17 per cent of local authorities are reporting an increase in new Covid infections.

Data for the seven days to February 19 shows that there has been a slight rise in Doncaster.

Figures show that the current rate of infection in Doncaster is 188.2 cases per 100,000 people, a total of 587 cases.

That’s an increase from 187.9, (586 cases) for the previous reporting period.

The areas where cases are rising the fastest include Rutland, North Warwickshire, Gosport and Craven, North Yorkshire.

Corby in Northamptonshire continues to have the highest rate, with 249 new cases recorded in the seven days to February 19 - the equivalent of 344.8 cases per 100,000 people.

The figures, for the seven days to February 19, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent four days (February 20-23) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

The figures have been calculated by the PA news agency using data from the Government's coronavirus dashboard published on February 23.

A total of 4,134,639 have now tested positive for Covid in the UK since the start of the outbreak.

In Doncaster, more than 700 people have died from Covid-19, with more than 2,000 released after hospital treatment.