New towns and city added to government coronavirus watchlist - the 29 UK areas affected

The government’s weekly watchlist, which aims to monitor and impose restrictions on local authorities which have high rates of coronavirus, is based on Public Health England data taken between July 24 and July 30.

At a local authority level, Blackburn and Darwen had the highest number of Covid-19 cases with an upwards trend of 80.6 positive cases per 100,000 people in the week ending July 30.

However this was a reduction on the number of new cases, on the previous week.

Households in the Blackburn and Darwen area are not allowed to visit over households, as part of new local lockdown measures to control the spread of the virus.

These are 29 local authorities with high overall infection rates that now on the watchlist:

Blackburn with Darwen

Oldham

Leicester

Bradford

Calderdale

Pendle

Trafford

Manchester

Rochdale

Tameside

Salford

Kirklees

Stockport

Burnley

Bolton

Bury

Hyndburn

Rossendale

Wigan

Preston

Luton

Swindon

Northampton

Peterborough

Sandwell

Bedford

Wakefield

Oadby

Wigston

Eden

The government list indicates the local authorities of greatest concern in terms of areas which are most susceptible of spreading Covid-19, which could create a second wave.

The watch list is based off local authorities with the highest weekly incidence, whether the areas have an upwards or downwards trend, combined alongside its test positivity rate and other metrics such as healthcare activity and mortality.

Oldham had the second highest number of new weekly coronavirus cases with 65.4 positive cases per 100,000.

The area which had an upwards trend of infections is also prohibits households from visiting each other inside their homes to contain the virus.

Leicester, which was the first area to have a local lockdown imposed, is number three on the government watch list with 57.1 new positive cases per 100,000 people in just one week.

While households are still prevented from meeting each other inside their homes, the rate of infections in the town is on a downwards trend.

The coronavirus infection rate in Sheffield dropped by more than one third, according to the latest weekly government update based on data from the seven days up to August 7.

The figures which are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community, shows the infection rate dropped from 16.1 per 100,000 people in the week ending 31 July to 10.3 in the week ending 7 August.

In the seven days to 7 August there were 60 confirmed positive coronavirus cases, compared to 94 in the previous week.

Near the bottom of the government watchlist is Wakefield, which ranks at number 26 with 15.1 new people contracting the virus in every 100,000 members of the population.

While the rate of infections in Wakefield is significantly lower that the likes of Blackburn and Darwen, the town is still deemed an area of concern – although households can still mix.

Oadby and Wigston was also classed as an area of concern with 12.3 new positive cases in every 100,000 people.

The area is on a downwards trend of infections and people can still visit each other inside their homes.

Eden had the fewest new positive Covid-19 cases, compared to local authorities on the list with 9.5 more people testing positive for coronavirus out of every 100,000 each week.

Across England, the average area has just nine new positive virus cases, out of 100,000 people, every seven days.

Areas classed as a place of concern ware defined as local authorities with ‘the highest prevalence’, where the local area is taking targeted actions to reduce prevalence by additional testing in care homes and increased community engagement with high risk groups.

Places which are classified as an area for enhanced support are places which are at medium to high risk of intervention, where there is a more detailed plan with additional resources to support the local authority.

Areas of intervention are where there is divergence from the measures in place in the rest of England because of the significance of the spread, with a detailed action plan in place, and local resources to slow the spread of infections.

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