These Are The Places With The Highest And Lowest Covid-19 Infection Rates In England

Not a single part of England would be classed as “safe” from coronavirus using the government’s own threshold for quarantining overseas travellers.

Two weeks ago, five areas in the country had a seven-day average of below 20 cases per 100,000 people and a few days later this fell to just one, the Isle of Wight.

Now the latest NHS data show cases on the Isle of Wight have risen to 24 per 100,000 people.

The national average currently stands at 159.8.

Areas with the highest levels of infection (seven-day average 12 Oct – 18 Oct)

1. Knowsley – 639.7
2. Nottingham – 586.7
3. Liverpool – 549.4
4. Blackburn – 548.4
5. Rochdale – 475.2
6. Salford – 469.8
7. Oldham – 448.7
8. Wigan – 440.0
9. Bolton – 427.8
10. Barnsley – 424.9

Areas with the lowest levels of infection (seven-day average 12 Oct – 18 Oct)

1. Isle of Wight – 24
2. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly – 24.5
3. Somerset – 37.7
4. West Sussex – 38.5
5. Medway – 40.2
6. East Sussex – 41.5
7. Kent – 45.0
8. Suffolk – 45.1
9. West Berkshire – 47.3
10. Central Bedfordshire – 49.5

Across the rest of the UK, four areas in Scotland remain under the threshold, three of which are islands – Orkney Islands (9 per 100,000 people), Shetland Islands (4.4) and Na h-Eilanan Siar (15).

Moray, on the Scottish mainland, has a rate of 14.

In Wales, which earlier this week announced a two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown similar to the first restrictions imposed in March, not a single area remains below the quarantine threshold.

Merthyr Tydfil has the highest rate at 217.2 and Ceredigon the lowest, at 23.4.

And in Northern Ireland the situation is the same. Derry City and Strabane has a rate of 717.5, the highest in the UK.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has announced south Yorkshire will move into the highest level of coronavirus restriction, after an agreement was reached between local leaders and central government.

The move comes as the fallout continued from the bitter row over Greater Manchester’s move to Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions.