Coronavirus case rates have continued to fall in the UK over the past week.
According to data analysis by The Speaker, Coronavirus case rates decreased in 94.6% of all upper-tier local authority (UTLA) areas in England in the 7-day period ending 2 February, compared to the previous 7-day period. The highest rate for any UTLA area in England in the 7-day period ending 2 February was 456.08 cases per 100,000 people – down from 684.1 cases per 100,000 people in Knowsley being the highest 7-day case rate for any UTLA area in England in the 7-day period up to 26 January.
While cases have continued to fall, the number of people dying with COVID-19 in the UK remains high, but has also continued to fall. Meanwhile, over 3 million people in the UK received a first COVID vaccine dose in the 7-day period up to and including 5 February, bringing the total to have received a first COVID vaccine dose in the UK to 11,465,210.
Click through the slides above for some key data and graphs, or see more of the latest Coronavirus data below.
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 2 February 2021.
| UTLA Area | Cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people |
| Walsall | 456.08 |
| Sandwell | 447.86 |
| Knowsley | 436.16 |
| St. Helens | 399.81 |
| Hounslow | 389.29 |
| Ealing | 389.11 |
| Luton | 377.37 |
| Wolverhampton | 371.74 |
| Slough | 370.47 |
| Birmingham | 369.59 |
| Halton | 364.73 |
| Peterborough | 361.42 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 358.06 |
| Leicester | 357.12 |
| Hillingdon | 354.87 |
| Brent | 349.94 |
| Derby | 345.12 |
| Middlesbrough | 344.02 |
| Bedford | 342.77 |
| Nottingham | 340.94 |
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 2 February 2021.
| UTLA Area | Cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people |
| Devon | 66.43 |
| Plymouth | 92.71 |
| North East Lincolnshire | 102.78 |
| Cornwall and Isles of Scilly | 110.78 |
| Gloucestershire | 129.50 |
| Herefordshire, County of | 134.85 |
| Wiltshire | 136.99 |
| North Lincolnshire | 138.72 |
| Camden | 141.47 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 142.45 |
| North Yorkshire | 145.29 |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 145.38 |
| Isle of Wight | 146.01 |
| Brighton and Hove | 147.14 |
| Calderdale | 148.02 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 149.92 |
| Suffolk | 151.44 |
| North Somerset | 154.85 |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of | 157.83 |
| Oxfordshire | 158.75 |
This week’s data again shows change in a positive direction, with case rates continuing to fall across the country.
The number of people dying within 28 days of a positive Coronavirus test remains tragically high, however, daily numbers of deaths have been decreasing. It is not expected that lockdown measures will be eased until at least 8 March in England, and even then the easing of restrictions is expected to be a gradual process. There will though be hopes that the easing of lockdown measures can take place without delays over the coming months, as the country continues to make positive progress in reducing case and death rates, and is vaccinating more and more people each day against the virus.
For a closer look at whether the UK is on track to meet its vaccination target, click here.
Data referenced in this article is publicly available from coronavirus.data.gov.uk. Where data is only included up to 2 February, 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.
