The UK’s 46 COVID hotspots as daily cases top 40,000

The UK now has over 40 COVID hotspots with more than 40,000 new daily cases reported for the first time in over a month.

Some 46 local authorities are currently COVID hotspots - areas with more than 500 cases per 100,000 - with Kettering currently having the highest rate in the country at 876.6.

There are 10 places in the country with more than 500 cases per 100,00 with North Lincolnshire second (721.9) and Barrow-in-Furness third at 684.4.

The Orkney Islands has by far the lowest COVID rate in the country at 49.1 with Gloucester having the lowest on the mainland at 103.3.

More than 40,000 new cases of COVID were reported in the UK on Thursday for the first time since early September.

Watch: COVID-19: UK has little 'headroom' for coronavirus cases to surge before NHS 'heavily stressed', professor warns

Read more: Norovirus cases up by nearly 40% as hundreds of outbreaks reported in the last month

Since the end of July daily cases have swung between the low 20,000s to just over 42,000.

According to the data, which covers the week ending on 7 October, hotspots are now spread across all areas of England and Wales except London and the North East.

The Shetland Islands have seen the largest weekly increase with their numbers rising by 118% to 104 cases per 100,00.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has seen the largest increase on the mainland with their figures rising by 67.3%.

The full list of areas is listed at the bottom of this article, while the map below demonstrates the differing case rates across the UK. The darker shades of brown show where infections are highest.

Read more: Under-18s are facing 'one of their worst periods of pandemic' as hospital admissions rise

A spike in COVID cases could be difficult for the country, with the NHS already under pressure and over 600 new coronavirus patients being admitted every day.

Professor Neil Ferguson, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) from Imperial College London, said on Tuesday the political decision to “live with COVID” was behind the UK’s current level of transmission, which is higher than in many other countries.

He suggested the Government’s Plan B for tacking Covid, which could see mandatory face masks brought back, COVID passports introduced and people told to work from home, could be triggered if hospital admissions reached 1,200 a day from the current figure of about 600.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also recently indicated masks could return to schools if cases rose.

He told the all-party group on coronavirus: “We are starting with quite a high incidence and so we don’t have very much headroom for increases.

“If we compare, for instance, incidence of COVID cases per day in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal, there is a much lower level than us, so they can afford to see something of a surge of transmission, which they may well, without unduly stressing the health system.

“We are much closer to the limit of what the NHS can cope with. We will come on to plan B, I think that is what is exercising Whitehall and policymakers, is that limited headroom.”

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The UK's 46 COVID hotspots:

• Kettering 876.6

• North Lincolnshire 721.9

• Barrow-in-Furness 686.4

• Torfaen 675.9

• Nuneaton and Bedworth 642

• Daventry 640.6

• Allerdale 631.7

• Rugby 631.7

• Vale of Glamorgan 618.6

• Stafford 606.4

• Hart 598.3

• Denbighshire 588.6

• Corby 588.6

• Mendip 583.9

• Cannock Chase 580.4

• Carmarthenshire 574

• Wellingborough 573.2

• Trafford 567.8

• Amber Valley 567.4

• Stratford-on-Avon 566.5

• Lichfield 565.1

• Northampton 564.9

• Blaby 564

• Neath Port Talbot 563.1

• High Peak 561.4

• Caerphilly 560.2

• Copeland 558.5

• North West Leicestershire 549.6

• Herefordshire, County of 549.5

• Bassetlaw 547

• Calderdale 543.9

• Barnsley 543.4

• Swansea 542.3

• Redditch 541.1

• Cardiff 538.7

• Harrogate 532.4

• Stockport 529.9

• Derbyshire Dales 527.5

• West Lindsey 524

• Aylesbury Vale 521.1

• Pembrokeshire 513.6

• South Derbyshire 513.2

• Cheshire East 510.5

• Isle of Wight 508.8

• St Albans 502.3

• South Lakeland 500.5