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COVID cases are now rising in 34 areas of the UK

Caroline Nicolls receive an injection of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine administered by nurse Amy Nash, at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, Berkshire. The Moderna vaccine is the third to be approved for use in the UK, and is now being given to patients in England. Picture date: Tuesday April 13, 2021.
Caroline Nicolls receive an injection of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine administered by nurse Amy Nash, at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, Berkshire. (PA)

Coronavirus cases are now increasing in 34 of 380 local council areas in the UK, the latest infection data shows, in a further illustration of how the virus is shrinking across the country.

The government’s new figures cover the seven days up to 9 April.

Ryedale in North Yorkshire saw the biggest increase of 175%, compared with the previous seven days.

Meanwhile, Clackmannanshire in Scotland reported the UK's saw highest rate of new COVID cases, with a seven-day rolling average infection rate of 131.9 per 100,000 people.

Read: The country where a quarter of all the world's COVID deaths are happening

The news comes after the government lifted more lockdown restrictions in England on Monday, allowing Britons to return to pubs, gyms, restaurants and shops.

Watch: Lockdown is main reason for drop in coronavirus cases and deaths, Boris Johnson says

These are the areas where COVID cases increases week on week, and how much numbers rose by

Ryedale: 175%

Eden: 150%

Bath and North East Somerset: 81.2%

Mendip: 72.7%

Castle Point: 69.2%

Harlow: 66.7%

Torbay: 56.2%

Isle of Wight: 47.4%

Carlisle: 44.4%

Copeland 41.7%

Tewkesbury: 40%

Fylde: 36.4%

Hertsmere: 33.3%

Hackney and City of London: 28.6%

Harrogate: 26.3%

North East Derbyshire: 24.3%

King's Lynn and West Norfolk: 23.5%

East Lothian: 23.5%

Waverley: 20%

Dorset: 18.9%

Reading: 17.9%

Mole Valley: 16.7%

Highland: 14.8%

Mansfield: 14%

Causeway Coast and Glens: 14%

Westminster: 12.7%

Rushmoor: 12.5%

Broxbourne: 11.1%

Newry, Mourne and Down: 8.9%

Test Valley: 8.1%

Wellingborough: 7.7%

Gedling: 3.8%

Arun: 2.6%

These are the areas with the highest overall rates of new infection. The figures are the seven-day rolling average case rates per 100,000 people

Clackmannanshire: 131.9

Mansfield:104.3

Corby: 102.5

Barnsley: 95.2

Wakefield: 84.7

Bradford: 82.1

Luton: 82.1

Leicester: 78.2

Doncaster: 76.6

Boston: 72.7

This week has seen further encouraging signs that the UK's lockdown and vaccine rollout are succeeding in bringing the outbreak under control.

A further 2,472 people were confirmed to have tested positive in the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday, a 15% reduction on the previous week.

A further 23 people were confirmed to have died during the same time period. The seven-day average of new reported deaths has now been below 100 since 16 March after peaking at more than 1,200 in January.

However, the prime minister sounded a note of caution yesterday, warning that the easing of lockdown would "inevitably" lead to further hospitalisations and deaths.

Boris Johnson urged people to “exercise restraint” after beer gardens and non-essential retail reopened on Monday.

The PM said: “Of course the vaccination programme has helped, but the bulk of the work in reducing the disease has been done by the lockdown.

“So, as we unlock, the result will inevitably be that we will see more infection, sadly we will see more hospitalisation and deaths.

“People have just got to understand that.”

Surge testing has been expanded to another area of south London after further reports of infections from the worrying South Africa COVID variant. Existing coronavirus vaccines are less effective against this variant.

Watch: Kent virus variant spreads more easily but doesn't make you sicker