THE majority of areas of the country outside London currently in 'high' Tier Two coronavirus alert level have a higher coronavirus case rate than the BCP Council region.

The Dorset conurbation has seen the number of coronavirus cases increase with a rolling seven-date rate up to October 23 of just over 200 cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the past four days (October 24 to 27) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

Essex, despite largely having rates below 100, requested to be put into Tier Two earlier this month.

Government also put all of London into tighter restrictions despite varied case rates.

Outside of London and Essex, only Elmbridge (136.7), Northumberland (174.9) and Slough (169.2) have lower rates than BCP (202.4) out of the areas in Tier Two.

Bradford (496.9) Calderdale (441.2) and Leeds (420.6) have some of the highest rates out of the areas currently in the ‘high’ Covid alert level.

Areas such as Charnwood (437.4), South Staffordshire (364.7), North East Derbyshire (350.9), North East Lincolnshire (349.7) and Bristol (340.8) are in the ‘medium’ Tier One alert level, with far higher rates than BCP.

At present BCP remains in Tier One, however, Sam Crowe, the county’s director for public health, told the BBC on Tuesday that a decision on whether to move Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole into Tier Two – or High – restrictions would be made this week.

“I think that where we are currently, that will be definitely something that will be discussed this week," he said. "If the rate doesn’t stabilise and if it doesn’t come down, we will need to take additional actions and, obviously, moving to Tier 2 is the next step in that contain framework.

“There will be a decision by government. One of the things that we need to be clear about locally are whether that would actually have the desired effect in terms of what we are seeing locally in our transmission.”

The rate of new cases in the seven days to October 23 for areas currently under Tier Two restrictions are as follows:

  • Ashfield 326.8
  • Barrow-in-Furness 267
  • Basildon 148.5 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Bassetlaw 316.7
  • Birmingham 266.7
  • Bradford 496.9
  • Braintree 51.1 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Brentwood 170.1 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Calderdale 441.2
  • Castle Point 139.4 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Chelmsford 108.2 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Cheshire East 213.7
  • Cheshire West and Chester 219.2
  • Chesterfield 316.5
  • Colchester 122.2 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • County Durham 293.3
  • Coventry 204.6
  • Darlington 292.1
  • Elmbridge 136.7
  • Epping Forest 135.9 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Erewash 302.5
  • Gateshead 356.8
  • Harlow 85 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Hartlepool 338.4
  • Kirklees 401.6
  • Leeds 420.6
  • Leicester 293.3
  • Maldon 64.7 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Mansfield 332.1
  • Middlesbrough 393
  • Newark & Sherwood 186.2
  • Newcastle upon Tyne 299.8
  • North East Derbyshire 350.9
  • North Tyneside 270.3
  • Northumberland 174.9
  • Oadby and Wigston 282.4
  • Redcar and Cleveland 312.1
  • Rochford 79 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Sandwell 279.5
  • Slough 169.2
  • Solihull 236.2
  • South Tyneside 235.1
  • Stockton-on-Tees 444.4
  • Stoke-on-Trent 283.2
  • Sunderland 326.2
  • Tendring 91.4 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Uttlesford 76.7 (asked to go into Tier Two)
  • Wakefield 430.4
  • Walsall 307.2
  • Wolverhampton 245.3
  • York 285.8
  • All 32 boroughs plus the City of London are also in Tier Two with varying rates