COVID cases are now rising in 1 in 4 areas – map shows rate where you live

Coronavirus cases are rising in one in four areas of the UK, the latest infection data show.

The government’s new figures for the seven days up to 10 March show cases are rising in 111 out of 380 local council areas – or 29% of the UK.

The Derbyshire Dales saw the biggest increase of 202.5% compared to the previous seven days.

The latest case rate per 100,000 people in your area, and how this has changed compared to the previous week, can be viewed on this interactive map.

While this is not the first time in recent weeks that cases have risen in dozens of areas, it offers another reminder that significant numbers of people are still being infected with COVID-19.

On 26 February, when data showed cases had risen in 95 local council areas, England’s deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said it reinforced “the fact that I’m afraid this battle at the moment is not won”.

While cases nationwide have dramatically fallen since the beginning of the year, the speed of the decline has slowed down, as this government graph demonstrates.

It comes as Boris Johnson insisted the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID vaccine is safe despite more countries suspending its use.

Germany, France and Italy are among countries to have paused injections of the vaccine amid concerns about blood clots in those who have had the shot.

Watch: PM says AZ vaccine is safe for use despite growing fears

Asked directly on Monday if he could tell the public that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, Johnson said: “Yes, I can. In the MHRA [the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency] we have one of the toughest and most experienced regulators in the world.

“They see no reason at all to discontinue the vaccination programme... for either of the vaccines that we’re currently using.”

The EU’s medical regulator also insisted its benefits outweighed the risk of side effects. The European Medicines Agency also said “many thousands of people” develop blood clots every year in the EU.

Watch: Do coronavirus vaccines affect fertility?