The UK Covid-19 rate fell again on March 25, but across the North East cases are still rising as the BA.2 Omicron variant continues to drive infection.
The spike caused by the BA.2 strain has yet to abate in any of the seven North East local authorities, but nationally the Covid-19 case rate dropped for the second day in succession according to the latest Government data. The national rate of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people is now 898.8.
However, the area with the highest Covid-19 prevalence in our region - North Tyneside - has seen case rates close on 1,000, and some places like Darras Hall and Low Fell have rates of over 1,400 per 100,000 people. This comes as NHS execs in the region have raised concerns about the Government's decision to scrap mass free testing from April 1.
Read more: Covid testing centres to close this week - what you need to know and what happens now
In North Tyneside , the case rate is now up to 981. That's a 27% rise week-on-week and accounts for 2,049 cases over the week. Northumberland also has a rate substantially above that seen nationally - it's 948.7 per 100,000 and there were 3,072 new cases.
Sharp rises in Gateshead and Sunderland also see case rates worth worrying about. In Gateshead the rate is up to 820.5. There were 1,657 new cases making an increase of 37.5%. In Sunderland there were 802.6 cases per 100,000 and 2,230 new cases.
In Newcastle , the case rate is up to 751.6, a 20.1% week on week rise. That's equivalent to 2,306 cases over the week in question. Meanwhile in County Durham has yet again seen more than 4,183 cases over seven days - adjusted for the size of the county's population that equals a rate of 784.6.
In South Tyneside - which still has the lowest rate in the region - there were 720.6 cases per 100,000 people. That's equivalent to 1,089 people testing positive and a rise of 50.2%.
The ten areas in the North East with the highest rates as of March 25 were:
Darras Hall, Stamfordham & Heddon - 1,490.3 cases per 100,000 and 117 new cases
Low Fell West - 1,403.5 cases per 100,000 and 88 new cases
North Cramlington - 1,400.5 cases per 100,000 and 72 new cases
Morpeth South & West 1,355.8 cases per 100,000 and 91 new cases
South Gosforth - 1,339.9 cases per 100,000 and 128 new cases
Whitley Sands - 1,291.8 cases per 100,000 and 78 new cases
Killingworth East - 1,272.2 cases per 100,000 and 81 new cases
Kingston Park & Dinnington - 1,265.5 cases per 100,000 and 175 new cases
Holystone & Benton - 1,265.4 cases per 100,000 and 119 new cases
Ponteland - 1,241.3 cases per 100,000 and 86 new cases
