Covid: new hotspot emerges as numbers rise in Winchester

The villages north of Winchester including Kings Worthy, South Wonston, Sutton Scotney and Micheldever have much higher rates than most other parts of the district.

The rate has doubled in seven days in the area of Kings Worthy, South Wonston, Sutton Scotney and Micheldever.

Numbers are falling in four areas, with three in or near to Winchester - Winchester West (a previous hotspot), Winchester East and Oliver's Battery and Hursley.

The Omicron variant entered Hampshire last week and health experts say it is spreading faster than other variants. The latest Omicron figures are unavailable. There had been one confirmed case of the variant.

Today 282 new Covid cases have been reported across the district, compared to 129 last Friday and 122 on January 5 during the previous peak.

The latest hotspot: Sutton Scotney, South Wonston and Micheldever

In the last seven days, there have been 917 Covid cases reported in Winchester district, up 137 (18 per cent) with rate of 728 cases per 100,000.

Out of more than 300 local authority areas Winchester is now ranked 54th for cases, compared to 44th For Test Valley which had been as bad as 17th earlier in the week.

The most recent number of cases of Covid in hospitals in Hampshire is 46 with 23 patients in Royal Hampshire County Hospital, 19 in Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, and four in Andover War Memorial Hospital.

The breakdown of the Covid cases in the 14 areas of Winchester in the seven days to December 12, the most recent day for which localised figures are available, is:

South Wonston, Sutton Scotney and Micheldever with 89 cases, up 45 (102 per cent) with 1,503 cases per 100,000 people;

Second is Springvale and Itchen Abbas (including Kings Worthy) with 76 cases, up 33 (77 per cent) with 1,107 per 100,000;

Third is Winchester North and Sparsholt with 95 cases, up 24 (33 per cent) with 972 per 100,000;

Fourth: Alresford, 66 cases, up 15 (29 per cent), 778.

Fifth: Wickham, Knowle and Whiteley, 88 cases, up 23, (35 per cent) 748;

Sixth: Denmead and Southwick, 79 cases, up 19 (32 per cent), 746;

Seventh: Winchester West (Weeke and Fulflood), 73 cases, down 16 (18 per cent) 733;

Eighth: Bishop's Waltham and Waltham Chase, 71 cases, up three (4 per cent), 724.

Ninth: Oliver's Battery and Hursley, 49 cases, down 12, (32 per cent), 598;

Tenth: Winchester Central and South, 62 cases, up three (5 per cent), 553;

Eleventh: Colden Common and Twyford, 53 cases, up three (6 per cent), 552;

Twelfth: Swanmore, West Meon and Hambledon, 46 cases, down 12 (21 per cent), 522;

Thirteenth: Stanmore, 34 cases, up six (21 per cent), 491;

Fourteenth: Winchester East (Winnall, Highcliffe, St Giles Hill and Bar End), 36 cases, down 21 (37 per cent), 444.

The Government dashboard shows 184 people have died in the area within 28 days of a positive test for Covid, no change for six days.

From the figures released on Friday December 10, there have been 22 reported cases of Omicron in Hampshire with one in Winchester.

Numbers continue to rise at the university, which has students living in mainly Winchester West, Winchester Central and South and Stanmore. There are 47 cases, with 10 new ones and 19 linked to the campus. Term has ended and most students will be returning home this weekend.

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