Covid hotspots: 13 UK areas with the highest Covid cases right now
Parts of east-central Scotland have overtaken the north west of England to become the UK’s new Covid-19 hotspot, new figures show.
East Lothian now has the highest rate of new coronavirus cases in the whole of the UK, while Dundee, Midlothian and Edinburgh have all seen a rise in rates.
The increase in cases reflect the impact of the highly transmissible Delta Covid variant which is now affecting most of the country, with 45 per cent of local areas in England seeing case rates climb.
Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has said the high rates are thought to be partly linked to football fans watching the Euro 2020 tournament indoors, and with England’s hotly anticipated match against Germany on Tuesday (29 June), a similar surge could be expected in other parts of the country.
Listed are the 13 areas of the UK which have the highest rates of Covid-19 cases right now, based on the seven days up to 23 June. Images are for illustrative purposes.
1. East Lothian
East Lothian’s Covid-19 case rate is 551.9 and the area had 591 new cases. Photo: OLI SCARFF
2. Hyndburn
Hyndburn’s Covid-19 case rate is 539.2 and the area had 437 new cases. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell
3. Dundee City
Dundee City’s Covid-19 case rate is 522.4 and the area had 780 new cases. Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS
4. Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen’s Covid-19 case rate is 493.7 and the area had 739 new cases. Photo: Dan Kitwood