The count of Covid-19 cases around the UK continued to steadily fall in the run-up to the Easter weekend, new Government data suggests - and this was the case in the North East, too.
Most areas of our region continue to see Covid circulating - with some including Ashington and the Scotswood and High Heaton areas of Newcastle having seen spikes in the last week. This comes after some leading NHS figures have called for a return to Covid-19 precautions such as mask-wearing and social distancing in light of significant pressure on hospitals - where there remain thousands of Covid-19 positive patients.
But the Government is continuing with its Living With Covid plan - and it is monitoring Covid-19 like other respiratory viruses. The surveillance data that does still exist does suggest the beginnings of a decline in infectivity - but it will take a few weeks for that to feed through and relieve the pressure on hospitals.
It is almost impossible to compare Covid-19 rates from April with those seen before the end of free mass testing on March 31 - but the numbers do indicate a trend which suggests where the virus is most prevalent. Around the UK, the official case rate is down to 326.8 per 100,000. after 219,215 cases reported over seven days, down 29.9%. Over the fortnight since free mass testing ended, that figure has more than halved - from 502,963 on March 31.
The most recent Office for National Statistics estimate also indicated a slight decrease in virus cases, but still said around one in 14 people had likely had the virus in the week to April 9. Meanwhile, the ZOE Covid-19 study - based on people reporting their symptoms - suggests there are just under four million people with Covid symptoms in the UK at the moment, and around 19,000 in Newcastle.
But, based on the Government's reported cases to have been verified through the testing that does remain available, such as in care homes and NHS settings, rates of the virus continue to fall.
County Durham 's case rate is down to 368.6, that's a reduction of 30.5% and reflects 1,965 cases over the week to April 14. The county's recent peak saw 4,301 cases in the the week to March 28. In Gateshead the Covid-19 rate is also well below 400 now - at 366.4 per 100,000 people. That's also down 33.2% week-on-week and reflects 740 cases.
In Newcastle the number of cases reported over a week fell below 1,000 for the first time in over a month. After 978 cases the rate was 318.7 and had fallen by 26% over the week in question. North Tyneside 's case rate - while still higher than much of the region - has also fallen below 400 - it was 376.8 cases per 100,000 people. That's a 39.6% fall week-on-week.
Northumberland still has a rate of 404.5 - though that's down 27.2% on the week before and reflects 1,310 cases. In South Tyneside , after just 471 cases reported in a week, the rate is down to 311.6. That's a 23.7% weekly reduction. After 991 cases over a week, there was a rate of 356.7 cases per 100,000 people in Sunderland . That's down 34.7%.
The ten areas with the highest Covid-19 rates in the North East as of April 14 were:
Ashington West - 812.8 cases per 100,000, 60 new cases
Scotswood - 658.4 cases per 100,000, 35 new cases
High Heaton - 657.1 cases per 100,000, 63 new cases
North Hylton - 655.6 cases per 100,000, 54 new cases
Barnard Castle - 642.3 cases per 100,000, 47 new cases
Morpeth North & Pegswood - 615.9 cases per 100,000, 35 new cases
Blyth Cowpen - 580.7 cases per 100,000, 41 new cases
Holystone & Benton - 574.2 cases per 100,000, 54 new cases
Chester-le-Street Town & Pelton Fell - 569.4 cases per 100,000, 55 new cases
Houghton West - 560.9 cases per 100,000, 44 new cases
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