Covid-19 in the UK: How many coronavirus cases are there in your area?
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Reuters
There have been more than 400,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far in the UK and more than 40,000 people have died, government figures show.
However, these figures include only people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus and other measures suggest the number of deaths is higher.
Find out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average.
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The postcode search has been updated to replace data for health boards in Scotland with data for local councils. In England, data for county councils has been replaced with data for district councils. Figures for boroughs and unitary authorities remain unchanged.
Cases and hospital admissions now rising
After their first April peak, confirmed coronavirus cases have been rising again since July, with the rate of growth increasing from the end of August.
On Wednesday, the country recorded 7,108 new cases. The highest number of confirmed cases recorded in a day came on Tuesday, with 7,143 new positive results, however testing capacity has increased significantly since the spring, when many cases went unreported.
The official number of cases during the first peak underestimated the number of people with coronavirus at the time, as widespread testing was not available until mid-May. Before then, tests were limited - mainly being used in hospitals and other care settings - and people with only mild symptoms would not have been tested.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday the country was at a "critical moment".
Although the UK was in a much better place now than in March in "many ways", he said, the government would "not hesitate" to put further measures in place if required.
Prof Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, said virus cases were increasing "quite rapidly" among older teenagers and young adults aged up to 21, and in certain areas of the country, such as north-west and north-east England.
Last week the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned that the UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action.
This could lead to about "200-plus deaths per day" a month later, he said.
However other experts have questioned this projection and suggest the increase could be more gradual, in a similar trajectory to France and Spain.
The BBC's health correspondent Nick Triggle says what matters now is how the rise in cases translates into an increases in hospital admissions and deaths.
Hospital admission figures are now showing a rise, and on Monday, government figures showed that 297 coronavirus patients were receiving mechanical ventilation, the highest figure since 24 June.
An estimate from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), released on Friday, suggested that roughly one in 500 people in England had coronavirus in the week ending 19 September. This is up from one in 900 reported the previous week.
Based on tests in households for current infection, the ONS survey is thought to give one of the most accurate pictures of whether or not new cases are increasing.
Where are the current hotspots?
There are several local hotspots in the UK that have seen cases spike in recent weeks.
The orange areas on the map below are those currently seeing the highest number of cases per 100,000 people.
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Extra restrictions have been introduced in many areas of the UK - including across the whole of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In addition to these national measures, parts of Wales, areas in the Midlands, Lancashire, Merseyside and West Yorkshire have seen additional rules imposed.
You can see a full breakdown of the areas under extra restrictions and the types of rules in place here.
Daily deaths starting to rise
While the rate of growth in new cases has begun to increase again recently, the rise in daily deaths has remained relatively low.
The government announced 71 new deaths on Wednesday - the same number as the day before and the joint highest total since 26 June. There were 62 deaths in England, seven in Scotland and one each in Northern Ireland and Wales.
In August, the government's death toll in England was reduced by 5,340 following a review of the way coronavirus deaths are counted.
New rules mean deaths anywhere in the UK are included in the coronavirus total only if they occurred within 28 days of a positive test. Previously in England, all deaths after a positive test were included.
England has seen the majority of UK deaths from Covid-19. Using the 28-day cut-off, there have been just over 37,000.
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- YOUR QUESTIONS: We answer your queries
Overall death toll could be more than 60,000
When looking at the overall death toll from coronavirus, official figures count deaths in three different ways.
Government figures count people who tested positive for coronavirus and died within 28 days.
But there are two other measures.
The first includes all deaths where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate, even if the person had not been tested for the virus. The most recent figures suggest there had been more than 57,000 deaths by 18 September.
The third method looks at all UK deaths over and above the number usually expected for the time of year - known as excess deaths. This measure shows the death toll was almost 65,000 by 18 September.
There were 10,784 deaths registered in the UK in the week ending 18 September, about 2% above the expected level for this time of year.
It was the second week in a row that Covid-19 registered deaths had risen across the UK - a total of 158 involved coronavirus, up 48 on the previous week. But the total is still far below the peak of 9,495 seen in April.
What is the R number in the UK?
The "R number" is the average number of people an infected person will pass the disease on to.
If R is below one, then the number of people contracting the disease will fall; if it is above one, the number will grow.
Last week, the government raised its estimate for the R number across the whole of the UK to between 1.2 and 1.5.
The estimate for England is 1.2-1.5, while for Scotland it is 1.2-1.6. The estimate for Wales is 0.7-1.2 and in Northern Ireland it is 1.5.
The government has said in the past that the R number is one of the most important factors in making policy decisions.
