Preston areas with highest Covid infections in the past week

There were 501,629 cases in the week ending March 31, a 17 percent drop from the week before.

The wave, linked to the highly contagious Omicron sub-variant BA.2, is now subsiding in all regions of the UK, the data shows.

At a local level, there were 829 new positive cases in Chorley, 788 in Preston and 764 in South Ribble over the same period, equating to decreases of almost 6 percent, more than 15 percent and 16 percent, respectively, from the week before.

Only 16 of the UK’s 380 local authorities (4 percent) are bucking the national trend as they saw cases rise in the past week, with South Staffordshire in the West Midlands having the highest increase at 7.5 percent.

The BA.2 wave has seen case rates hit the second highest level in the pandemic so far, after the Omicron wave of the past winter.

The high infection rates, and the resulting absences, are still causing disruption in schools and workplaces.

Across the UK, hospitalisations remain at high levels, although they are lower than the numbers seen during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.

BA.2 was given the nickname "stealth Omicron” because it was more difficult to tell it apart from the Delta variant.

Experts believe the increased contagiousness of the sub-variant is a key reason for the current wave, alongside the waning effectiveness of boosters and the lifting of many restrictions.

At neighbourhood level, Covid-19 case rates have been published for the week to [insert relevant date for your nation].

The figures include people infected with Covid-19 for the first time as well as reinfections.

Here are the neighbourhoods in Preston with the highest case rates in the past week.