The 35 North East postcodes where Covid-19 infection rates could now be rock bottom

Covid cases have plummeted in the North East during the past week.

Among the region's seven councils, infections fell by as much as 38 per cent.

The stats come as one expert suggested the region's decline had "flattened".

Professor Sir Ian Diamond, head of the Office for National Statistics, made the claim in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

However new Government data published on Saturday afternoon suggests cases are still declining in the North East - and fast.

Gateshead, which had the lowest decline among the seven councils, has still had 20.9 per cent fewer cases compared to the same period last week.

And Sunderland, where cases have fallen by 38.7 per cent this week, has seen a huge reduction in cases over the past month.

Infection levels there have fallen by more than two-thirds since the start of February, while the virus is now 'suppressed' in dozens of postcodes.

That means there were no more than two - and potentially zero - new cases there last week.

These are the 35 North East postcodes where the virus is currently 'suppressed'.

(These figures, taken from the UK Government's Covid-19 data map, are correct for the week ending March 1)

Northumberland

• Morpeth Central and East
• Darras Hall, Stamfordham and Heddon

Darras Road in Darras Hall, Ponteland (Newcastle Chronicle)

• Wylam and Ovingham
• Bellingham, Otterburn and Redesdale
• Rothbury and Longframlington
• Longhoughton and Alnmouth
• Seahouses, Belford and Wooler
• Haltwhistle and Bardon Mill

North Tyneside

• Whitley Bay North
• Whitley Sands
• Tynemouth Prioiry

Tynemouth Priory (NCJ Media)

Newcastle

• North Jesmond

Gateshead

• Blaydon South
• Whickham
• Crawcrook and Greenside
• Chopwell and High Spen
• Gateshead South
• Low Fell West
• Easedale Gardens

South Tyneside

• Hebburn West
• Harton East
• Harton West

Sunderland

• Monkwearmouth
• Shiney Row

County Durham

• Chester-le-Street North
• Stanley South
• Lanchester
• Ackley Heads, Neville's Cross and Langley Moor
• South Murton and South Hetton
• Peterlee South
• Newton Aycliffe East

Newton Aycliffe town centre (Newcastle Chronicle)

• Newton Aycliffe South
• Newton Aycliffe West
• Evenwood, Cockfield and Staindrop
• Upper Teesdale