THE number of coronavirus cases being reported in Herefordshire has risen, with the figure doubling in a fortnight.

The rise in the number of people testing positive – from 592 in the seven days to March 2 to 1,631 in the week to March 16 – comes as the number of tests carried out also rose.

In the seven days to March 2, an average of 2,387.9 tests, either lab-processed PCRs or rapid lateral flows, were taken each day.

But in the seven days to March 13, the most up-to-date figure available, that had fallen to an average of 2,535.7 each day.

Cases fell in just two of Herefordshire's 23 areas compared with data from March 9.

Current coronavirus hotspots in the county, those with the highest infection rates, include:

 

  • Lugwardine, Withington and Moreton-on-Lugg
  • Credenhill, Weobley and Wellington
  • Leominster South
  • Bromyard and Bishop's Frome
  • Ross-on-Wye

 

The infection rate – the number of cases per 100,000 people – for those areas were all above the UK average of 831.8.

The only areas which saw a fall in cases over the seven days were Hereford East, which includes Tupsley, and Wigmore, Orleton and Brimfield.

The map breaks Herefordshire down into 23 sections known as middle super output areas.

These are used to try and improve the reporting of small area statistics, with an average population of around 7,200 people in England and Wales.

In total, Herefordshire reported 1,631 cases in the seven days to March 16, giving it an infection rate of 842.4 cases per 100,000 people.

That was 549 more cases than the week before when the infection rate was 558.8. A fortnight ago it was 305.8.

In January, Herefordshire's Covid cases peaked at around 1,432 cases per 100,000.