Covid cases are once more on the rise with the south of our region emerging as a hotspot. The rate of cases per 100,000 people is highest in Warwick and Stratford currently.
But experts have warned that while figures show cases are on the rise, they may not reflect the virus's actual prevalence across the country. The removal of free testing has seen the number of tests plummet since the height of the pandemic.
Many places in the Coventry and Warwickshire area have a rate of cases per 100,000 people that's above the national average of 9.3. Warwick had the highest rate at 16.6, followed by Stratford-upon-Avon at 12.8 and Rugby at 10.8. Coventry had a rate of 10 cases per 100,000 people.
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North Warwickshire was the area in our region to have the lowest rate with just three cases in the last seven days and a rate of 4.6. You can read the full breakdown for our area below.
There were 5,250 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in England in the seven days to August 5, according to the latest government data. That works out at 9.3 cases for every 100,000 people in the country.
There were an additional 205 cases in Wales, the equivalent of 6.5 for every 100,000 people. And the numbers are on the rise. At the same point a week earlier, there were 4,240 confirmed cases in England, and 167 in Wales. That’s equivalent to 7.5 and 5.3 cases per 100,000 people respectively.
See how many cases there are in your area with our interactive map:
But testing has plummeted since the removal of free tests at the height of the pandemic. There were a total of just 32,336 tests taken in England in the seven days leading up to August 5, according to the government’s figures. That’s compared to 4.8 million at the same point in 2021.
Some parts of the country have a higher prevalence of confirmed cases than others. There were 24.9 cases of Covid for every 100,000 people in West Devon in the seven days up to August 5. That’s the highest rate in England and Wales.
In North Somerset there were 23.2 cases for every 100,000 people. In Preston there were 22.2, and in Stoke-on-Trent there were 21.4.
The latest increase in cases comes on the back of a discovery of a new sub- variant of the disease. Named EG.5 by the World Health Organisation, it’s since been given the unofficial nickname “Eris”. The sub-variant is an offshoot of the Omicron variant. However, It’s being reported that based on the available evidence there is no suggestion the sub-variant is causing more severe disease and the risks are no higher than other current variants of interest.
Number of cases and rates across Coventry and Warwickshire
Coventry: 38 cases, rate of 10
North Warwickshire: 3 cases, rate of 4.6
Nuneaton and Bedworth: 10 cases, rate of 7.7
Rugby: 12 cases, rate of 10.8
Warwick: 24 cases, rate of 16.6
Stratford-upon-Avon: 17 cases, rate of 12.8
Solihull: 13 cases, rate of 6
