The latest coronavirus data shows that case rates have continued to fall steadily in the majority of the UK following easements of restrictions in April.
Coronavirus case rates in the four UK nations are currently at similar levels as those seen last summer, with the average rate for the four nations now at 23.73 cases per 100,000 people. The rates indicate much lower prevalences of COVID-19 in UK communities and a massive reduction in cases being recorded since lockdown measures were implemented at the end of 2020 and the start of 2021.
The combination of lockdown measures and the UK’s vaccination programme is mainly being recognised as the cause for the reduction in cases. To date, more than 34.3 million people in the UK have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while around 15 million people have had two doses of a coronavirus vaccine.
Along with the rising vaccination rates and the falling case rates, the number of people dying with COVID-19 has also continued to fall significantly over the last two months. They were 101 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test recorded in the 7 days to 27 April – a major reduction to 1,156 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test recorded in the 7 days up to 7 March.
The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals is also at its lowest level in many months. On 29 April, 1,451 confirmed COVID-19 patients were in UK hospitals – down from 3,559 on the first day of April and 12,894 on the first day of March.
A significant number of lockdown easements were made in UK nations in April, such as the re-opening of non-essential retail, the re-opening of outdoor hospitality in England and increased freedoms to travel. In the majority of areas, cases have continued to fall or have remained relatively unchanged, prompting hopes that further restrictions will be able to be lifted as planned later this month.
For more data on the latest coronavirus situation, click through the slides above or scroll down to view some of the latest case data from England.
The 20 UTLA areas with the highest prevalence of COVID-19 cases
The following upper-tier local authority areas in England had the highest rates of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the seven-day period ending 26 April 2021.
| UTLA Area | Cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people | Change compared to case rate at 19 April |
| North Lincolnshire | 81.84 | +55% |
| Kirklees | 67.99 | +13% |
| Doncaster | 65.41 | -5% |
| Wakefield | 60.58 | +34% |
| Luton | 58.20 | +1% |
| Barnsley | 55.09 | -6% |
| Leicester | 54.20 | -10% |
| Bradford | 53.91 | 0% |
| Bolton | 49.73 | -3% |
| Slough | 48.15 | -26% |
| Peterborough | 47.96 | +7% |
| Rotherham | 42.58 | -16% |
| Leeds | 42.36 | -9% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 42.09 | +61% |
| Sheffield | 41.04 | -15% |
| Trafford | 40.87 | +43% |
| Harrow | 40.21 | +44% |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 40.18 | +5% |
| Salford | 39.41 | 38% |
| Manchester | 36.72 | -22% |
The 20 UTLA areas with the lowest prevalence of COVID-19 cases
The following upper-tier local authority areas in England had the lowest rates of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the seven-day period ending 26 April 2021.
| UTLA Area | Cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people | Change compared to case rate at 19 April |
| Torbay | 8.07 | +22% |
| Cumbria | 9.60 | -38% |
| Cornwall and Isles of Scilly | 9.66 | -23% |
| Southend-on-Sea | 9.83 | -18% |
| Dorset | 10.04 | -27% |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 10.49 | -23% |
| Medway | 10.77 | -21% |
| Portsmouth | 11.17 | -34% |
| Isle of Wight | 11.29 | +6% |
| Gloucestershire | 11.30 | -4% |
| East Sussex | 11.49 | 10% |
| Essex | 11.82 | -12% |
| Wirral | 12.35 | +11% |
| Bromley | 12.64 | +17% |
| Lambeth | 12.88 | -43% |
| Devon | 13.34 | +25% |
| Solihull | 13.40 | -38% |
| Islington | 13.61 | +3% |
| Somerset | 13.87 | -4% |
| West Berkshire | 13.88 | -12% |
UTLA areas with the largest increases in COVID-19 cases
The following upper-tier local authority areas in England saw their COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people increase by more than 25% in the seven-day period ending 26 April 2021, compared to the previous 7 day period.
| UTLA Area | Cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people | Change compared to case rate at 19 April |
| County of Herefordshire | 32.16 | 100% |
| Halton | 20.86 | 80% |
| Bedford | 31.74 | 77% |
| County Durham | 30.56 | 71% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 42.09 | 61% |
| North Lincolnshire | 81.84 | 55% |
| Plymouth | 16.02 | 44% |
| Harrow | 40.21 | 44% |
| Wokingham | 26.88 | 44% |
| Trafford | 40.87 | 43% |
| York | 25.64 | 42% |
| North Yorkshire | 33.82 | 41% |
| Salford | 39.41 | 38% |
| Lancashire | 27.63 | 36% |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 13.97 | 36% |
| Wakefield | 60.58 | 34% |
| Thurrock | 16.06 | 34% |
| Rutland | 20.04 | 34% |
| Norfolk | 20.38 | 31% |
| Shropshire | 18.57 | 28% |
| Ealing | 35.69 | 27% |
Data referenced in this article is publicly available from coronavirus.data.gov.uk. Where data is only included up to 26 April, this is to try to ensure accuracy, due to there being a delay between virus tests taking place and cases been recorded. Data may be updated – the inclusion of data here and our analysis is based on the available data at the time of writing. Our analysis has been created for information purposes only and we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
