Top five Covid hotspots revealed as cases rise by nearly 37,000

Cheltenham in Gloucestershire has the highest case rate in the UK

New data has revealed the latest five Covid hotspots in the UK as daily cases jumped by nearly 37,000.

A further 36,557 cases and 38 deaths were reported today, with these figures excluding Wales due to a “technical issue”.

In the week to last Thursday, coronavirus infection rates rose in 68 per cent of the 377 local areas in the UK, according to analysis of government case numbers published on Monday.

Cheltenham in Gloucestershire has the highest rate in the UK, with 1,478 new cases in the seven days to October 21, the equivalent of 1,273.7 per 100,000 people.

The five UK areas with the biggest week-on-week rises are:

• Tewkesbury (up from 484.4 to 1,212.9)
• Cheltenham (602.4 to 1273.7)
• Stroud (607.9 to 1,202.6)
• Blaenau Gwent (649.8 to 1,213.9)
• Swindon (580.6 to 1,112.3)

It comes after Downing Street continue to repeat that there is “no plan to move to plan B”, insisting that tougher measures are not currently needed to drive down the rise in coronavirus infections, hospitalisations and deaths.

Plan B measures include the mandatory wearing of face coverings, a return to home-working and the implementation of vaccine passports.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “If the public continue to abide by the behaviours and guidance we have set out, and those eligible get their booster jabs, we believe we can further curb cases and bring rates down, along with hospitalisation and deaths.

“There is no plan to move to Plan B at this stage.”

Professor Peter Openshaw, a member of the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), had warned hours earlier that the current infection rate in the UK was “unacceptable” and “astonishingly high” compared to “most other west European countries”.

On Friday, minutes from the Sage group of government advisers showed scientists warned ministers to start preparing for “Plan B” to combat the spread of Covid.

Similar calls have also emerged from the NHS Confederation and the British Medical Association (BMA) for ministers to activate their winter Plan B for England amid fears the health service could be overwhelmed.