The North East has the highest case rate in the UK, according to the latest government data.
Only five sections of the government's interactive map displaying Covid case rates currently fall in within the most severe category - all of which are located in the North East of the country.
These 'blackspots' reveal the areas where case rates are more than 1,600 per 100,000 people testing positive for the virus.
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And data for the seven days to January 13 shows that South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool are the only remaining Covid 'blackspots' in the UK.
Of the five areas, Middlesbrough recorded the highest case rate, with 1,809.8 per 100,000 people testing positive for the virus and 2,557 recorded positive cases.
This was followed by Sunderland which had a case rate of 1,795.6 per 100,000 people and 4,989 recorded positive cases.
Data shows that South Tyneside was only marginally behind Sunderland, with 1,794.4 per 100,000 people testing positive for the virus.
While in South Tyneside there were 2,712 recorded positive cases in the seven days to January 13.
North Tyneside and Hartlepool had the lowest case rates of the five remaining 'blackspots'.
North Tyneside had a recorded case rate of 1,676.2 per 100,000 people and 3,501 positive cases and Hartlepool recorded a case rate of 1,659.3 per 100,000 people and 1,557 positive cases.
Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead and County Durham all recorded less than 2,000 per 100,000 people testing positive for Covid-19 and are therefore no longer considered to be 'blackspot' areas.
Northumberland had a case rate of 1,517.5 per 100,000 and 4,914 recorded positive cases.
While County Durham had a recorded case rate of 1,485.1 per 100,000 people testing positive for the virus and 7,918 recorded cases.
Newcastle recorded a case rate of 1,483.3 per 100,000 people and 4,551 recorded positive cases.
And Gateshead had a case rate of 1,478.1 per 100,000 and 2,985 recorded positive cases.
Despite parts of the region recording the most severe case rates in the UK, all authority areas did see a reduction in case rates relevant to the previous seven days:
- Northumberland: -3,324 (-40.3%)
- Newcastle: -2,255 (-33.1%)
- North Tyneside: -2,350 (-40.2%)
- Gateshead: -2,099 (-41.3%)
- South Tyneside: -1,404 (-34.1%)
- Sunderland: -2,611 (-34.4%)
- County Durham: -4,681 (-37.2%)
