Top 10 list of areas in England where Covid-19 is now spreading fastest

As England was plunged into its third national lockdown last week – the deadly coronavirus was on the rise in 98% of the country's local authorities.

In the seven days leading up to January 3, infections increased in 309 of the 315 local areas in England.

Barking & Dagenham in London registered the highest number of new cases in England, with 3,331 new cases recorded – the equivalent of 1,564.5 cases per 100,000 people, the highest rate in the country.

Thurrock in Essex has the second highest rate, up from 1,314.1 to 1,494.2, with 2,605 new cases, the Daily Mirror reports.

Redbridge in London is in third place, where the rate has increased from 1,191.9 to 1,467.1 with 4,478 new cases.

What should be done to lower the infection rate in your area? Let us know in the comments below

It comes after the UK saw a record rise in deaths since April with a total of 1,162 deaths in all settings.

It marks the second largest single-day increase in recorded deaths during the course of the pandemic, with only April 21 seeing a higher figure of 1,224 deaths.

Cases have risen by 52,618 as the country remains in the grip of the devastating spike in infections.

Today's figures of total deaths in all settings compare to 964 deaths last Thursday.

• 

  Tongue-tied PM slips up live on air as he struggles to pronounce Covid drug's name

Earlier today, figures revealed a total of 819 people have died from coronavirus at hospitals.

The NHS has announced 661 new fatalities in England, 78 in Scotland, 63 in Wales and 17 in Northern Ireland.

Today's increase in hospital deaths is the biggest Thursday rise since April 16 – when 870 fatalities were announced.

It comes as droves of people scrambled to get their coronavirus jabs this morning as the country launched a mass rollout of the much-anticipated vaccine.

A mass inoculation of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine began today as hospitals across the country face rising numbers of seriously ill patients.

The vaccines are being delivered to sites all over the UK after the Government committed to offering the vaccine to more than 13 million people in the top four priority groups by mid-February.

NHS trusts in London are on the verge of being overwhelmed, according to leaked health service documents, while other trusts are rapidly turning normal wards into intensive care units (ICUs).

There have also been reports that dozens of people have failed to turn up for their jab slots for the Pfizer vaccine.

Coronavirus infection rates in your area per 100,000 people

10 areas with the biggest week-on-week rise in rates are:

1 Halton (up from 248.8 to 996.1)
2 Knowsley (235.3 to 929.3)
3 Isle of Wight (246.9 to 926.1)
4 Crawley (517.8 to 1,132.5)
5 Corby (229.9 to 779.6)
6 Carlisle (509.8 to 1,039.8)
7 Sefton (228.6 to 745.6)
8 Wirral (271.0 to 778.1)
9 Rushmoor (815.0 to 1,315.0)
10 Tendring (436.7 to 934.8)

Source: Read Full Article