New hotspot emerges in Winchester district: today's numbers, Monday January 4

Cases of the highly contagious new strain are rising fast in Oliver's Battery and Hursley according to Government figures released this afternoon.

In the seven days to last Wednesday December 30 47 cases were reported, up 29 on the previous seven days, an increase of 161 per cent. The rolling number per 100,000 people is 574.9, well above the national average (see map below).

Today's figures from the NHS show there are currently 57 Covid patients at the RHCH compared to 44 last week and 105 at Basingstoke hospital compared to 78 previously.

As reported last week the local healthcare trust has started postponing planned operations to free capacity for Covid patients suffering from the new virulent strain of the virus.

The highest place in the district remains Denmead and Southwick where there have been 90 new cases, up 40, with a rolling number of 877.5. Yesterday the rolling number was 1,014. On the official map it is still marked black, the highest indicator for the worst affected areas.

In the adjacent area of Swanmore, Hambledon and West Meon in the week to December 30 there have been 36 cases, up 13, or 36.5 per cent, for a rolling number of 413, up from yesterday's 356.

Numbers are spiking in the Alresford area. Some 38 were reported in the seven days to December 30, a weekly increase of 13, or 65 per cent, for a rolling rate of 390, above the national average.

Stanmore had been the only area in the district where the numbers had been dropping so fast that the area was marked green on the map. No longer. It reported 20 cases, up 17 or 566 per cent, for a rolling number of 294.9, still relatively low.

There were 68 cases reported today in Winchester district bringing the number since the start of the pandemic to 2,988.The December 30 figure for Winchester district is 537, up 225 or 72 per cent, for as rolling number of 430.1.

The Winchester ‘district’ covers more than just the 'city' and covers a swathe of central Hampshire from Micheldever to Denmead, and Crawley to Ropley.

Some 551 new cases have been reported in Winchester district in the last seven days to today, January 4. That is 18 per cent, nearly a fifth of the 2,988 cases since the start of the pandemic. In the previous seven days the number was 348.

The rolling rate is above the national average explaining why the Winchester district is now purple on the map along with Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

Nationally 50,000 new cases have been reported for each of the last seven days.

The Winchester district's infection rate is 2,393 per 100,000 people. The national infection rate is 4,157 per 100,000.

In the area covered by Hampshire County Council there were 1,098 new positive test results in the last 24 hours. The seven-day numbers to December 30 are 6,495, up 2,474 or 61.5 per cent, for a rolling 469.8.

The hottest hotspot in Hampshire is Rushmoor in the north-east of the county which includes Aldershot.

A further six Covid-19 deaths have been reported by the NHS in Hampshire.

At Hampshire Hospitals Trust, which includes the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, there have been one death, meaning a total of 247 since the start of the pandemic. At Southampton Hospital the figure is 252, no change in the latest statistics released today at 2pm. Portsmouth Hospitals Trust recorded a further five to take its total to 433. Southern Health Trust remains at 25 deaths, with the figure for the Solent NHS Trust stays at four.

Across the county’s NHS some 961 people have died since March.

In Winchester City Council area the figure for deaths is 106, no change. In Portsmouth it is 149, up one, and 153 in Southampton, no change.

The Office for National Statistics reports that 1,117 have died in the Hampshire County Council area, with an increase of five reported today.

Other Covid news:

Closed schools: the official list. Read more here

Prime Minister Boris Johnson to address the nation this evening. Read more here

The likely new lockdown rules. Read more here