ONLY two new cases of Covid were reported today in the Winchester district, the lowest daily number since September 28, more than five months ago.

Ten areas of the Winchester district are now almost Covid-free, according to figures released today.

Covid numbers have edged up in three other areas of the district.

The ten areas, where there have been fewer than three cases in the last seven days to Tuesday March 2, are:

Winchester West (Weeke and Fulflood);

Winchester East (Winnall, Highcliffe and Bar End);

Winchester Central and South;

Stanmore;

Oliver’s Battery and Hursley;

South Wonston, Sutton Scotney and Micheldever;

Swanmore, Hambledon and West Meon;

Bishop's Waltham and Waltham Chase;

Whiteley, Knowle and Wickham.

Joining them today is Colden Common and Twyford.

These areas are now marked white on the Government Covid map (see below)

Colden Common and Twyford now almost Covid-free

Colden Common and Twyford now almost Covid-free

The numbers are very low but cases have increased in the following four areas:

Alresford, five cases, up three (150 per cent) for rolling average of 59.1 per 100,000;

Denmead and Southwick, eight cases, up two (33 per cent) 78.0, new above the national average;

Winchester North and Sparsholt, six cases, up four (200 per cent), 61.8.

In the Winchester district as a whole official figures in the week to Tuesday March 2 there were 34 cases, down four, or 10 per cent for a rolling rate per 100,000 people of 27.2. The Press Association national news agency reported that the figures to Thursday March 4 show only 22 places out of 315 in the UK with a better record than Winchester, mostly in the West Country.

The district covers more than just the city but includes countryside from Micheldever to Denmead.

Winchester numbers

Winchester numbers

In the last seven days to today (Sunday) there have only been 27 new cases in the Winchester district, down from the previous week’s 41. The 28 figure is the lowest since Friday October 2.

The number of Winchester district cases since the start of the pandemic is now 4,756 for a rate per 100,000 people of 3,809. No new deaths have been reported keeping the number at 183, a rate of 146.6 per 100,000 people. In the last seven days there have been four deaths.

The crisis at the Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has carried on easing. Last Monday there were 52 patients – 33 at Basingstoke, 19 at RHCH and none at Andover. The previous Monday there were 85 patients who have tested positive for Covid-19 – 51 at Basingstoke, 34 at RHCH and none at Andover.

Across the NHS trusts in Hampshire (Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, Southern and Solent) two Covid patients have died, both in Portsmouth, taking the overall figure to 1,844.

Meanwhile, there are only ten schools in Hampshire affected by Covid, up three, with none in the Winchester district.

There are no new cases at Winchester University and 198 since last September,according to its website.

Hampshire Covid numbers

Hampshire Covid numbers