Omicron cases are still rising in 218 areas – is YOURS on the hotspot list?

CASES of Omicron are still rising in 218 places across the UK and this interactive map reveals if your local area is on the list.

Infections have continued to fall in the last two weeks, dropping 11 per cent since the middle of January.

In general, cases have risen in the last few days and experts have said this could be down to kids going back to school and mixing.

While cases have risen in 218 areas in the seven days to January 23, rates have fallen in 158 areas.

Most people who are catching the Omicron variant are suffering with cold-like symptoms and the bug seems to be milder for most people.

A string of positive studies show Omicron is milder than other strains, especially in the vaccinated.

Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.

Newry, Mourne & Down in Northern Ireland continues to have the highest rate of infections in the UK, with 3,552 new cases in the seven days to January 23 – the equivalent of 1,955.2 per 100,000 people.

This is up from a rate of 1,522.5 for the seven days to January 16.

Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon in Northern Ireland has the second highest rate, up from 1,318.4 to 1,918.7, with 4,168 new cases.

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Peterborough in Cambridgeshire has the third highest rate, up from 1,522.0 to 1,787.5, with 3,622 new cases.

Newport has the highest rate in Wales (866.7, up from 652.6) and Clackmannanshire has the highest rate in Scotland (588.8, down from 674.6).

While these are the areas where infection rates are the highest, there are five areas in the UK where cases have seen a large increase in the last week.

The top three areas are all in Northern Ireland, but experts have however have said that Northern Ireland has passed its peak of Omicron infections.

Northern Ireland had previously closed night clubs due to worries surrounding the spread of Omicron.

On Wednesday nightclubs reopened and dancing and indoor standing events were able to resume.

Lisburn & Castlereagh has seen a big jump in infections, up from 1,110.9 to 1,740.5 in the last seven days.

Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon, has also seen a steep increase, going from 1,318.4 to 1,918.7.

While Ards & North Down has also jumped from 1,047.2 to 1,584.6.

There are two areas outside of Northern Ireland that have seen a large rise in infections.

Woking has jumped from 1,126.9 to 1,659.9 and Wokingham has also seen a rise, going from 1,062.4 to 1,516.6.

‘BOUNCE BACK’

Professor Tim Spector, behind the Zoe Covid Symptom Study warned cases are set to remain high until spring, with current new daily infections hovering around 100,000 in the UK.

He added: “The bounce back in case numbers just as we lift restrictions has come sooner than many expected.

“But it’s not surprising given that, throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen the end of school holidays repeatedly usher in a rapid rise in cases among children, which then cross over into parents and school staff.

“However, the good news is that most vaccinated infections are mild, with symptoms lasting on average for a shorter time overall than Delta and with less severe cases.

“It’s clear that Covid and its new variants will continue to have an impact on our day-to-day lives for some time.

“It’s crucial that we’re responsible with our new freedoms and help to keep case numbers down and prevent the virus reaching the more vulnerable groups.”