Stafford now ninth-worst UK region for Covid as new wave of cases hits
Rural areas of the West Midlands are suffering a new wave of cases – while rates in more densely populated towns and cities appear to be falling away.
Latest figures reveal Stafford is now the ninth worst-hit in the UK with a rate of 723.9 per 100,000 people, up 332.9 on the week before. Its rise is also the second highest in the UK.
Areas of Staffordshire, Shropshire and Mid Wales are following the upward trend, while there has been a significant fall in urban areas of the Black Country and Birmingham.
Rates generally are being driven by young people, with cases rising in schools. While rates are up across the UK, hospitalisations and deaths are starting to fall. Of the 377 local areas in the UK, 299 (79 per cent) have seen a week-on-week rise in rates and 78 (21 per cent) have seen a fall.
Kettering has the highest rate of all, with 981 new cases, with 959.8 per 100,000 people. This is up sharply from 488.2 in the seven days to September 16.
The list is calculated using data published on September 27 on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.
