Coronavirus figures in the Harborough area - and the 'hotspots' in Leicestershire

New coronavirus hotspots continue to develop across the UK, despite the introduction of testing and tracing systems.

Parts of England and Wales have seen the most new cases, with lower rates seen in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In the Harborough district, there have been nine cases identified between May 23 to June 6, bringing the total to 167 (9.6 per 100,000 of the population).

In Leicestershire, there are four areas that are in the top 100 of the 'hotspot' list - Harborough is in 110th in the list of 313 local authorities.

The figures are as follows:

City of Leicester (in 46th place in the English hotspot list, out of 313 local authorities)

Population: 354,224

Total coronavirus cases as of May 23: 865

Total coronavirus cases as of June 6: 931

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6: 66

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6, per 100,000 of the population: 18.6

JPIMedia ranking as new English coronavirus hotspot (for cases in past fortnight): 46

Oadby and Wigston (in 52nd place in the English hotspot list, out of 313 local authorities)

Population: 57,015

Total coronavirus cases as of May 23: 147

Total coronavirus cases as of June 6: 157

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6: 10

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6, per 100,000 of the population: 17.5

JPIMedia ranking as new English coronavirus hotspot (for cases in past fortnight): 52

North West Leicestershire (in 81st place in the English hotspot list, out of 313 local authorities)

Population: 103,611

Total coronavirus cases as of May 23: 152

Total coronavirus cases as of June 6: 165

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6: 13

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6, per 100,000 of the population: 12.5

JPIMedia ranking as new English coronavirus hotspot (for cases in past fortnight): 81

Hinckley and Bosworth (in 97th place in the English hotspot list, out of 313 local authorities)

Population: 113,136

Total coronavirus cases as of May 23: 239

Total coronavirus cases as of June 6: 251

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6: 12

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6, per 100,000 of the population: 10.6

JPIMedia ranking as new English coronavirus hotspot (for cases in past fortnight): 97

Blaby (in 105th place in the English hotspot list, out of 313 local authorities)

Population: 101,526

Total coronavirus cases as of May 23: 205

Total coronavirus cases as of June 6: 215

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6: 10

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6, per 100,000 of the population: 9.8

JPIMedia ranking as new English coronavirus hotspot (for cases in past fortnight): 105

Charnwood (in 108th place in the English hotspot list, out of 313 local authorities)

Population: 185,851

Total coronavirus cases as of May 23: 296

Total coronavirus cases as of June 6: 314

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6: 18

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6, per 100,000 of the population: 9.7

JPIMedia ranking as new English coronavirus hotspot (for cases in past fortnight): 108

Harborough district (in 110th place in the English hotspot list, out of 313 local authorities)

Population: 93,807

Total coronavirus cases as of May 23: 158

Total coronavirus cases as of June 6: 167

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6: 9

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6, per 100,000 of the population: 9.6

JPIMedia ranking as new English coronavirus hotspot (for cases in past fortnight): 110

Melton (in 136th place in the English hotspot list, out of 313 local authorities)

Population: 51,209

Total coronavirus cases as of May 23: 70

Total coronavirus cases as of June 6: 74

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6: 4

Number of cases identified from May 23 to June 6, per 100,000 of the population: 7.8

JPIMedia ranking as new English coronavirus hotspot (for cases in past fortnight): 136

Monitoring the number of new infections plays an important part in measuring R, the reproduction rate of the virus.

The UK Government last month unveiled plans for “local lockdowns” in the next phase of the fight against the pandemic.

At a press briefing on Friday June 5, health secretary Matt Hancock said measures had since been put in place to dampen localised outbreaks, such as in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset.

There, Weston General Hospital has been closed to new patients to control the spread of the virus among patients and staff.

Mr Hancock said it would be “increasingly important” to monitor data at local levels and then take action, a job which would fall to the new Joint Biosecurity Centre.

He said: “We need to get more granular and more focused and find the source of the local outbreak and then deal with it.”

The highest rates of new cases in the past fortnight were seen in Ashford and Tunbridge Wells in South East England, Huntingdonshire in the East of England and North Wales.

Each of these areas saw more than 50 new cases diagnosed for every 100,000 residents in the two weeks to June 6.

In Northern Ireland, the Causeway Coast and Glens council area saw the highest rate of new cases, at 29.8 per 100,000 residents, in the fortnight to June 6.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday (June 9), Northern Ireland health minister Robin Swann welcomed the nation’s third consecutive day without a coronavirus death.

But he warned of the chance of a second wave, saying: “There will be no charge for the lockdown exit door. There will be no suggestion that the worst is over, that people can relax their guard.

“Yes, Covid-19 is in retreat but we must not turn our back on it.”

In Scotland, the NHS Ayrshire and Arran area saw the highest rate of new cases, at 16.8 per 100,000 residents, in the fortnight to June 6.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday (June 9), first minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government would in the coming weeks be publishing region-specific figures on the early stages of the country’s Test and Protect scheme.

She said: “I can’t stress enough that the willingness of all of us to fully co-operate with Test and Protect in the weeks and months to come will be absolutely vital to our efforts to keep the virus suppressed as we try to restore some normality to our everyday lives.”