Covid rates are going up in more than half of local authorities in England, fuelled by the Indian variant, new figures have revealed.
The latest data from Public Health England shows that of the 315 local areas in England, 176 (56%) have seen a rise in coronavirus rates, 125 (40%) have seen a fall and 14 are unchanged.
That is a slight increase from Thursday, when they were rising in 53% of the local authorities.
The number of newly reported cases on Friday - 4,182 - is the highest since April 1, reflecting the local surges.
Matt Hancock announced as much as three quarters of new coronavirus cases are now of the Indian variant, suggesting the likely more infectious strain is fuelling the recent rise, reports The Mirror.
Prof Andrew Hayward, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said cases of the Indian variant are doubling every week and "it only takes five or six doublings for that to get up to say a quarter million cases".
Bolton in Greater Manchester continues to have the highest rate, with 1,159 new cases in the seven days to May 24, the equivalent of 403.1 cases per 100,000 people. This is up from 385.3 in the seven days to May 17.
Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire has the second highest rate, up from 186.4 to 355.4, with 532 new cases.
Rossendale in Lancashire has the third highest, up from 40.6 to 212.6, with 152 new cases.
The five areas with the biggest week-on-week rises are:
- Rossendale (up from 40.6 to 212.6)
- Blackburn with Darwen (186.4 to 355.4)
- Bedford (141.4 to 195.0)
- Hyndburn (51.8 to 103.6)
- Reigate & Banstead (8.7 to 55.8)
In the North East, cases have risen in Sunderland from 21 to 45, in Gateshead from 30 to 43, and very slightly by just once case in South Tyneside, going up from 23 to 24.
However infections have dropped in North Tyneside, Northumberland, County Durham and Newcastle.
North Tyneside is among the areas where cases of the Indian variant have been confirmed but in the last week overall infections have fallen from 107 cases to 91.
The full list
From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to May 24; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to May 24; rate of new cases in the seven days to May 17; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to May 17.
Bolton, 403.1, (1159), 385.3, (1108)
Blackburn with Darwen, 355.4, (532), 186.4, (279)
Rossendale, 212.6, (152), 40.6, (29)
Bedford, 195.0, (338), 141.4, (245)
Kirklees, 109.6, (482), 80.3, (353)
Hyndburn, 103.6, (84), 51.8, (42)
Burnley, 95.6, (85), 58.5, (52)
Manchester, 78.5, (434), 42.7, (236)
Bury, 72.8, (139), 46.1, (88)
Preston, 69.9, (100), 44.7, (64)
Pendle, 69.5, (64), 42.3, (39)
Chorley, 66.0, (78), 47.4, (56)
Leicester, 63.8, (226), 49.7, (176)
Rochdale, 62.5, (139), 43.6, (97)
Ribble Valley, 60.8, (37), 16.4, (10)
Bradford, 59.7, (322), 42.2, (228)
Wigan, 57.8, (190), 33.2, (109)
Reigate and Banstead, 55.8, (83), 8.7, (13)
Hillingdon, 54.7, (168), 35.2, (108)
Salford, 54.5, (141), 24.7, (64)
Hounslow, 52.7, (143), 50.8, (138)
Trafford, 52.7, (125), 41.7, (99)
Kingston upon Thames, 51.3, (91), 31.5, (56)
Fylde, 49.5, (40), 8.7, (7)
Watford, 48.7, (47), 29.0, (28)
Oldham, 48.5, (115), 22.4, (53)
Reading, 48.2, (78), 30.3, (49)
Lambeth, 47.8, (156), 30.7, (100)
Calderdale, 46.8, (99), 44.5, (94)
Slough, 45.5, (68), 22.7, (34)
South Ribble, 45.1, (50), 21.7, (24)
Worcester, 44.5, (45), 37.5, (38)
North Tyneside, 43.8, (91), 51.5, (107)
Luton, 43.7, (93), 42.2, (90)
Ealing, 43.6, (149), 33.4, (114)
Wakefield, 42.8, (149), 31.0, (108)
High Peak, 42.1, (39), 36.7, (34)
Wellingborough, 41.4, (33), 27.6, (22)
South Holland, 41.0, (39), 41.0, (39)
Newcastle upon Tyne, 40.9, (124), 43.3, (131)
Boston, 39.9, (28), 41.3, (29)
Central Bedfordshire, 39.1, (113), 36.7, (106)
Rushmoor, 38.1, (36), 22.2, (21)
Croydon, 37.8, (146), 28.4, (110)
Leeds, 36.6, (290), 39.6, (314)
Wokingham, 34.5, (59), 14.6, (25)
Sheffield, 33.0, (193), 36.4, (213)
Doncaster, 32.4, (101), 35.3, (110)
Portsmouth, 32.1, (69), 25.6, (55)
Canterbury, 30.2, (50), 28.4, (47)
Charnwood, 30.1, (56), 10.2, (19)
Birmingham, 29.6, (338), 16.6, (189)
Greenwich, 28.5, (82), 25.7, (74)
Stockport, 27.9, (82), 25.2, (74)
Middlesbrough, 27.7, (39), 31.9, (45)
Brent, 27.6, (91), 20.9, (69)
Gloucester, 27.1, (35), 7.0, (9)
Lancaster, 26.7, (39), 16.4, (24)
Blaby, 26.6, (27), 13.8, (14)
Selby, 26.5, (24), 47.5, (43)
South Hams, 26.4, (23), 20.7, (18)
Stevenage, 26.2, (23), 6.8, (6)
Newark and Sherwood, 26.1, (32), 27.8, (34)
Barnsley, 25.9, (64), 30.8, (76)
North Lincolnshire, 25.0, (43), 28.4, (49)
Breckland, 24.3, (34), 7.9, (11)
Tameside, 24.3, (55), 22.5, (51)
Peterborough, 24.2, (49), 25.2, (51)
North West Leicestershire, 24.1, (25), 14.5, (15)
West Berkshire, 24.0, (38), 34.1, (54)
Walsall, 23.8, (68), 14.0, (40)
Bromley, 23.8, (79), 18.7, (62)
Gedling, 23.7, (28), 26.3, (31)
Broxtowe, 23.7, (27), 30.7, (35)
Melton, 23.4, (12), 17.6, (9)
Milton Keynes, 23.4, (63), 21.5, (58)
Hammersmith and Fulham, 23.2, (43), 21.6, (40)
South Kesteven, 23.2, (33), 11.2, (16)
Rotherham, 23.0, (61), 22.2, (59)
Kensington and Chelsea, 22.4, (35), 16.0, (25)
Epsom and Ewell, 22.3, (18), 16.1, (13)
Corby, 22.2, (16), 29.1, (21)
Blackpool, 21.5, (30), 22.2, (31)
Harrow, 21.5, (54), 29.1, (73)
East Riding of Yorkshire, 21.4, (73), 20.8, (71)
Nottingham, 21.3, (71), 21.6, (72)
Dartford, 21.3, (24), 8.0, (9)
Gateshead, 21.3, (43), 14.8, (30)
East Northamptonshire, 21.2, (20), 16.9, (16)
Westminster, 21.0, (55), 15.3, (40)
Oadby and Wigston, 21.0, (12), 14.0, (8)
Erewash, 20.8, (24), 37.3, (43)
Kettering, 20.6, (21), 20.6, (21)
Dudley, 20.5, (66), 20.2, (65)
St Albans, 20.2, (30), 12.1, (18)
Spelthorne, 20.0, (20), 14.0, (14)
Hertsmere, 20.0, (21), 19.1, (20)
Newham, 19.8, (70), 13.6, (48)
Wandsworth, 19.7, (65), 14.6, (48)
Sandwell, 19.2, (63), 19.2, (63)
Lincoln, 19.1, (19), 25.2, (25)
Stoke-on-Trent, 19.1, (49), 22.2, (57)
Bexley, 18.9, (47), 13.7, (34)
Hull, 18.9, (49), 14.2, (37)
Norwich, 18.5, (26), 12.8, (18)
Nuneaton and Bedworth, 18.5, (24), 12.3, (16)
Three Rivers, 18.2, (17), 23.6, (22)
Bristol, 17.9, (83), 15.5, (72)
Malvern Hills, 17.8, (14), 14.0, (11)
Wycombe, 17.8, (31), 6.9, (12)
Redbridge, 17.7, (54), 12.4, (38)
Aylesbury Vale, 17.5, (35), 14.5, (29)
Redcar and Cleveland, 17.5, (24), 10.9, (15)
Haringey, 17.5, (47), 19.0, (51)
Cheshire East, 17.4, (67), 20.6, (79)
Merton, 16.9, (35), 10.2, (21)
West Lindsey, 16.7, (16), 6.3, (6)
Chiltern, 16.7, (16), 6.3, (6)
Swindon, 16.7, (37), 17.1, (38)
Southampton, 16.6, (42), 19.4, (49)
Waltham Forest, 16.6, (46), 12.3, (34)
Broxbourne, 16.4, (16), 13.4, (13)
Ashfield, 16.4, (21), 24.2, (31)
Mid Suffolk, 16.4, (17), 26.0, (27)
East Lindsey, 16.2, (23), 19.8, (28)
Sunderland, 16.2, (45), 7.6, (21)
Bassetlaw, 16.2, (19), 24.7, (29)
Rushcliffe, 15.9, (19), 18.5, (22)
South Tyneside, 15.9, (24), 15.2, (23)
Woking, 15.9, (16), 16.9, (17)
Oxford, 15.7, (24), 8.5, (13)
Northampton, 15.6, (35), 10.7, (24)
Welwyn Hatfield, 15.4, (19), 9.8, (12)
North Warwickshire, 15.3, (10), 10.7, (7)
York, 15.2, (32), 13.8, (29)
North East Lincolnshire, 15.0, (24), 13.8, (22)
West Lancashire, 14.9, (17), 11.4, (13)
Enfield, 14.7, (49), 15.3, (51)
Sutton, 14.5, (30), 14.1, (29)
King's Lynn and West Norfolk, 14.5, (22), 9.9, (15)
Exeter, 14.5, (19), 4.6, (6)
Hackney and City of London, 14.4, (42), 9.3, (27)
Tower Hamlets, 14.2, (46), 11.1, (36)
Gosport, 14.1, (12), 7.1, (6)
Sevenoaks, 14.1, (17), 6.6, (8)
Wolverhampton, 14.0, (37), 11.8, (31)
Medway, 14.0, (39), 7.5, (21)
Windsor and Maidenhead, 13.9, (21), 10.6, (16)
Broadland, 13.8, (18), 7.6, (10)
Richmond upon Thames, 13.6, (27), 11.6, (23)
Dacorum, 13.6, (21), 11.0, (17)
Surrey Heath, 13.4, (12), 3.4, (3)
Hart, 13.4, (13), 27.8, (27)
Sefton, 13.4, (37), 24.6, (68)
East Staffordshire, 13.4, (16), 9.2, (11)
Copeland, 13.2, (9), 8.8, (6)
Uttlesford, 13.1, (12), 12.1, (11)
Harrogate, 13.1, (21), 12.4, (20)
Mansfield, 12.8, (14), 21.0, (23)
Telford and Wrekin, 12.8, (23), 10.6, (19)
Havering, 12.7, (33), 7.7, (20)
South Oxfordshire, 12.7, (18), 3.5, (5)
Southwark, 12.5, (40), 12.2, (39)
Herefordshire, 12.4, (24), 20.7, (40)
Wychavon, 12.4, (16), 7.0, (9)
Stratford-on-Avon, 12.3, (16), 7.7, (10)
Craven, 12.3, (7), 8.8, (5)
Maidstone, 12.2, (21), 7.6, (13)
Coventry, 12.1, (45), 19.4, (72)
North Kesteven, 12.0, (14), 6.8, (8)
Barrow-in-Furness, 11.9, (8), 7.5, (5)
Redditch, 11.7, (10), 12.9, (11)
Daventry, 11.6, (10), 11.6, (10)
Crawley, 11.6, (13), 9.8, (11)
Solihull, 11.6, (25), 15.3, (33)
Mole Valley, 11.5, (10), 4.6, (4)
Lichfield, 11.5, (12), 10.5, (11)
Lewisham, 11.4, (35), 19.6, (60)
South Bucks, 11.4, (8), 18.6, (13)
Tandridge, 11.3, (10), 7.9, (7)
North Devon, 11.3, (11), 10.3, (10)
Barking and Dagenham, 11.3, (24), 9.4, (20)
Knowsley, 11.3, (17), 6.6, (10)
Darlington, 11.2, (12), 5.6, (6)
Stockton-on-Tees, 11.1, (22), 18.2, (36)
Cotswold, 11.1, (10), 7.8, (7)
St. Helens, 11.1, (20), 17.7, (32)
Scarborough, 11.0, (12), 11.0, (12)
Rugby, 11.0, (12), 23.9, (26)
Dover, 11.0, (13), 1.7, (2)
Brighton and Hove, 11.0, (32), 17.2, (50)
South Gloucestershire, 10.9, (31), 8.8, (25)
County Durham, 10.8, (57), 11.5, (61)
Harborough, 10.7, (10), 16.0, (15)
Folkestone and Hythe, 10.6, (12), 4.4, (5)
West Suffolk, 10.6, (19), 20.7, (37)
Bracknell Forest, 10.6, (13), 6.5, (8)
Thanet, 10.6, (15), 8.5, (12)
Southend-on-Sea, 10.4, (19), 10.4, (19)
Islington, 10.3, (25), 10.3, (25)
Havant, 10.3, (13), 11.1, (14)
Ipswich, 10.2, (14), 8.0, (11)
Derby, 10.1, (26), 8.6, (22)
Barnet, 10.1, (40), 11.9, (47)
Rutland, 10.0, (4), 17.5, (7)
Ashford, 10.0, (13), 5.4, (7)
Cherwell, 10.0, (15), 14.0, (21)
West Oxfordshire, 9.9, (11), 13.6, (15)
Isle of Wight, 9.9, (14), 6.3, (9)
East Hampshire, 9.8, (12), 6.5, (8)
South Staffordshire, 9.8, (11), 8.0, (9)
North Hertfordshire, 9.7, (13), 7.5, (10)
Hinckley and Bosworth, 9.7, (11), 13.3, (15)
Teignbridge, 9.7, (13), 6.0, (8)
Vale of White Horse, 9.6, (13), 5.9, (8)
South Northamptonshire, 9.5, (9), 19.0, (18)
East Hertfordshire, 9.3, (14), 5.3, (8)
Thurrock, 9.2, (16), 6.3, (11)
Epping Forest, 9.1, (12), 9.9, (13)
Liverpool, 9.0, (45), 7.6, (38)
Chelmsford, 9.0, (16), 5.0, (9)
Sedgemoor, 8.9, (11), 12.2, (15)
Wyre, 8.9, (10), 15.2, (17)
Bolsover, 8.7, (7), 3.7, (3)
Chesterfield, 8.6, (9), 6.7, (7)
South Lakeland, 8.6, (9), 11.4, (12)
Mid Devon, 8.5, (7), 8.5, (7)
Halton, 8.5, (11), 11.6, (15)
Plymouth, 8.4, (22), 9.5, (25)
North Somerset, 8.4, (18), 5.1, (11)
Derbyshire Dales, 8.3, (6), 11.1, (8)
Stafford, 8.0, (11), 11.7, (16)
Swale, 8.0, (12), 14.0, (21)
Basingstoke and Deane, 7.9, (14), 5.1, (9)
Waverley, 7.9, (10), 11.1, (14)
North East Derbyshire, 7.9, (8), 7.9, (8)
Tamworth, 7.8, (6), 7.8, (6)
Bath and North East Somerset, 7.8, (15), 15.5, (30)
Warrington, 7.6, (16), 9.5, (20)
Hastings, 7.6, (7), 1.1, (1)
Basildon, 7.5, (14), 10.1, (19)
Wirral, 7.4, (24), 5.9, (19)
Guildford, 7.4, (11), 8.7, (13)
Carlisle, 7.4, (8), 3.7, (4)
Elmbridge, 7.3, (10), 11.7, (16)
Allerdale, 7.2, (7), 5.1, (5)
Forest of Dean, 6.9, (6), 5.8, (5)
Wyre Forest, 6.9, (7), 5.9, (6)
Fareham, 6.9, (8), 8.6, (10)
Tunbridge Wells, 6.7, (8), 7.6, (9)
Runnymede, 6.7, (6), 1.1, (1)
North Norfolk, 6.7, (7), 3.8, (4)
Stroud, 6.7, (8), 20.0, (24)
Castle Point, 6.6, (6), 6.6, (6)
Torbay, 6.6, (9), 6.6, (9)
Cambridge, 6.4, (8), 16.0, (20)
Hartlepool, 6.4, (6), 9.6, (9)
Wiltshire, 6.4, (32), 7.8, (39)
Horsham, 6.3, (9), 5.6, (8)
Northumberland, 6.2, (20), 13.3, (43)
Maldon, 6.2, (4), 7.7, (5)
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, 6.1, (24), 8.9, (35)
Camden, 5.9, (16), 8.9, (24)
Torridge, 5.9, (4), 2.9, (2)
Eastbourne, 5.8, (6), 1.0, (1)
Chichester, 5.8, (7), 7.4, (9)
Harlow, 5.7, (5), 6.9, (6)
South Derbyshire, 5.6, (6), 8.4, (9)
Richmondshire, 5.6, (3), 7.4, (4)
Cheshire West and Chester, 5.5, (19), 7.0, (24)
Hambleton, 5.5, (5), 6.6, (6)
Eastleigh, 5.2, (7), 12.7, (17)
Brentwood, 5.2, (4), 5.2, (4)
Mendip, 5.2, (6), 4.3, (5)
Staffordshire Moorlands, 5.1, (5), 10.2, (10)
Huntingdonshire, 5.1, (9), 14.6, (26)
Great Yarmouth, 5.0, (5), 7.0, (7)
South Cambridgeshire, 5.0, (8), 7.5, (12)
Bromsgrove, 5.0, (5), 6.0, (6)
New Forest, 5.0, (9), 6.7, (12)
Cannock Chase, 5.0, (5), 13.9, (14)
Fenland, 4.9, (5), 7.9, (8)
Lewes, 4.8, (5), 9.7, (10)
Winchester, 4.8, (6), 5.6, (7)
East Devon, 4.8, (7), 5.5, (8)
Adur, 4.7, (3), 12.4, (8)
Shropshire, 4.6, (15), 7.1, (23)
Rochford, 4.6, (4), 4.6, (4)
Tonbridge and Malling, 4.5, (6), 14.4, (19)
Somerset West and Taunton, 4.5, (7), 7.1, (11)
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, 4.4, (25), 5.2, (30)
Arun, 4.4, (7), 10.6, (17)
Babergh, 4.3, (4), 6.5, (6)
Wealden, 4.3, (7), 3.7, (6)
Cheltenham, 4.3, (5), 6.0, (7)
Tewkesbury, 4.2, (4), 1.1, (1)
Warwick, 4.2, (6), 5.6, (8)
Rother, 4.2, (4), 9.4, (9)
Tendring, 4.1, (6), 6.1, (9)
Mid Sussex, 4.0, (6), 2.6, (4)
Dorset, 4.0, (15), 4.5, (17)
Gravesham, 3.7, (4), 11.2, (12)
Worthing, 3.6, (4), 7.2, (8)
Colchester, 3.6, (7), 6.7, (13)
West Devon, 3.6, (2), 5.4, (3)
South Somerset, 3.6, (6), 2.4, (4)
South Norfolk, 3.5, (5), 9.9, (14)
East Cambridgeshire, 3.3, (3), 4.5, (4)
Braintree, 3.3, (5), 6.6, (10)
Test Valley, 3.2, (4), 10.3, (13)
Newcastle-under-Lyme, 3.1, (4), 10.0, (13)
East Suffolk, 2.8, (7), 6.0, (15)
Amber Valley, 2.3, (3), 3.9, (5)
Eden, 0.0, (0), 9.4, (5)
Ryedale, 0.0, (0), 1.8, (1)
