Where in the UK are Covid-19 cases on the rise?
7 July 2020, 17:50
New statistics from Public Health England have revealed several areas across England and Wales where cases of coronavirus are on the rise.
Merthyr Tydfil has seen a sharp increase from 9.95 cases per 100,000 to 179.03, which has been attributed to more than a hundred cases being discovered at a local meatpacking plant.
Meanwhile, Knowsley in Merseyside has seen a rise from 6.02 cases per 100,000 to 20.06.
Bolton, Sheffield, Doncaster and Blackpool have also reported an increase in cases numbers, but these are smaller than the former two.
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It comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday that Leicester would remain in lockdown until 18 July at the earliest following a worrying number of new cases.
He said that since the lockdown was reimposed last week, there had been a change in the data that was "moving in the right direction" as the seven-day case average had dropped.
The rate has now decreased to 117 cases per 100,000 people - down from 135.
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Other locations to have also decreased their infection rate by a large number include Bradford, Gwynedd, Wrexham and Barnsley, according to the statistics.
The former has decreased its case numbers from 69.44 per 100,000 to 45.8, while Gwynedd has reduced from 38.54 per 100,000 to 5.62.
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Wrexham is now at 38.25, down from 98.56 per 100,000, and Barnsley has reached 35.07 from 54.65.
In Scotland, restrictions have been rolled back in Dumfries and Galloway after clusters of new infections were brought under control.
