Here’s where Covid cases are rising fastest in Dewsbury, Batley and Spen

There were 605,313 cases in the week ending March 24, just six per cent higher than the week before - an indication that the latest wave may soon peak.

But this nationwide picture disguises huge regional variations.

At a regional level, the North East of England has seen case rates rise by a third (33 per cent) in just a week, to 775 cases per 100,000 residents.

The second highest weekly rise was in Yorkshire and the Humber, which saw case rates rise by a quarter (25 per cent) in a week, to 742 cases per 100,000 residents.

Scotland still had the highest overall case rate in the week to March 24, at 1,411 cases per 100,000 residents.

This was followed by the South West, with 1,292 cases per 100,000 residents.

The lowest case rate was in Wales, with 460 cases per 100,000 residents - although in Wales, lateral flow test results are not counted in the case numbers.

The current BA.2 wave has seen case rates hit the second highest level in the pandemic so far, after the Omicron wave of the past winter.

Across the UK, hospitalisations are at about half the numbers seen at their peak, in January 2021, while the number of deaths is well below those seen before the vaccine rollout.

But high case rates, and the resulting absences, are still causing disruption in schools and hospitals.

The lifting of many restrictions, waning effectiveness of boosters and the spread of the highly contagious BA.2 ‘stealth Omicron’ variant have all been touted as potential reasons for the current wave.

At neighbourhood level, Covid-19 case rates have been published for the week to March 24.

The figures include people infected with Covid-19 for the first time as well as re-infections.

Here are the neighbourhoods in North Kirklees with the biggest rise in case rates in the past week.

Batley Carr and Mount Pleasant had 419.8 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 300.2 per cent from the week before.

Dewsbury Central and Westborough had 487.9 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 146.7 per cent from the week before.

Batley Central had 285.1 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 122.2 per cent from the week before.

Dewsbury Moor Upper had 650.5 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 115.0 per cent from the week before.

Gomersal had 927.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 103.0 per cent from the week before.

Thornhill had 548.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 94.7 per cent from the week before.

Upper Batley and Soothill had 395.1 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 92.8 per cent from the week before.

Cleckheaton had 615.6 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 76.7 per cent from the week before.

Wilton Park, Carlinghow and Brookroyd had 792.7 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 71.4 per cent from the week before.

Liversedge, Littletown and Millbridge had 936.9 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 68.6 per cent from the week before.

Dewsbury Moor Lower and Westtown had 141.5 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 66.7 per cent from the week before.

Battyeford had 721.8 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 54.8 per cent from the week before.

Heckmondwike North had 600.0 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 52.2 per cent from the week before.

Birkenshaw had 1195.7 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 51.7 per cent from the week before.

Scholes and Hunsworth had 839.1 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 50.0 per cent from the week before.

Heckmondwike Town, Norristhorpe and Roberttown had 781.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 48.8 per cent from the week before.

Dewsbury Savile Town and Thornhill Lees had 181.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 42.9 per cent from the week before.

Earlsheaton and Chickenley had 627.8 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 34.8 per cent from the week before.

Staincliffe and Healey had 327.7 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 25.0 per cent from the week before.

Birstall had 733.7 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 24.6 per cent from the week before.

Hightown and Hartshead Moor had 469.9 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 23.1 per cent from the week before.

Mirfield Central and Hopton had 784.7 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 17.0 per cent from the week before.

In better news, the following areas all saw a drop in their Covid case rates in the latest week.

Ravensthorpe had 150.1 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 6.7 per cent from the week before.

Shaw Cross and Hanging Heaton had 518.6 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 11.1 per cent from the week before.