(Composite: Kim Mogg / JPIMedia)(Composite: Kim Mogg / JPIMedia)
(Composite: Kim Mogg / JPIMedia)

England areas with fastest rising Covid rates as cases set to surge ahead of schools return

Cases of people testing positive for Covid-19 are continuing to surge across the UK and numbers are predicted to rise even higher in the coming weeks.

Health experts have warned that coronavirus rates will likely see a boost as pupils return to schools in England next week after the summer break.

Latest figures from NHS Test and Trace show that more than 200,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 at least once in the week to 18 August, which is a rise of five per cent on the previous seven days - and the highest number since late July.

There are currently 51,961 new daily symptomatic coronavirus cases, according to the Zoe Covid study, and it is expected that this will continue to go up.

Calls are now being made for the vaccine rollout to be extended to 12 to 15-year-olds in an effort to prevent the highly transmissible Delta variant from spreading through schools, with NHS England reportedly working on plans to start vaccinating this age group from early September.

The push to get more youngsters vaccinated comes amid warnings of an autumn wave, which could see hospital cases increase to 1,000 per day.

Professor Neil Ferguson, infectious disease modeller and epidemiologist from Imperial College London, said the current case rates are “sobering” heading into September, when social mixing will increase as pupils return to schools.

But which parts of the country are seeing the biggest increase in Covid-19 rates ahead of schools reopening? Listed are the England areas with the fastest rising coronavirus rates right now, based on cases per 100,000 from the week 13 August to 20 August. Images are for illustrative purposes only.

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