The 11 areas of Dewsbury, Batley and Spen where Covid cases are rising

They are also on the up in several neighbourhoods within North Kirklees.

There were 260,691 positive cases in the UK in the week ending March 3, a two per cent increase on the week before.

Some 186 of the UK’s local authority areas (49 per cent) saw cases rise in the past week, with East Ayrshire in Scotland seeing a surge of 83.4 per cent.

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 rising infection rates.

At a regional level, Scotland had the highest case rate in the week to March 3, at 969.4 cases per 100,000 residents.

This was followed by Northern Ireland, with 790.2 cases per 100,000 residents. The lowest case rate was in Wales, with 182.8 cases per 100,000 residents.

The figures include both positive PCR and lateral flow tests, except in Wales where only PCRs are counted.

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

At neighbourhood level, Covid-19 case rates have been published for the week to March 3.

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

Heckmondwike Town, Norristhorpe and Roberttown had 231.9 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 111.0 per cent from the week before.

Wilton Park, Carlinghow and Brookroyd had 277.4 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 110.0 per cent from the week before.

Batley Carr and Mount Pleasant had 91.8 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 74.9 per cent from the week before.

Hightown and Hartshead Moor had 220.3 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 66.6 per cent from the week before.

Shaw Cross and Hanging Heaton had 210.7 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 62.6 per cent from the week before.

Heckmondwike North had 145.7 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 54.5 per cent from the week before.

Scholes and Hunsworth had 338.6 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 27.8 per cent from the week before.

Dewsbury Moor Lower and Westtown had 155.7 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 22.2 per cent from the week before.

Thornhill had 207.4 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 16.6 per cent from the week before.

Birkenshaw had 244.6 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 5.9 per cent from the week before.

Birstall had 227.3 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a rise of 4.7 per cent from the week before.

Gomersal had 221.4 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, no change from the week before.

Mirfield Central and Hopton had 156.9 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, no change from the week before.

In better news, here are the neighbourhoods with the biggest decrease in case rates in the past week.

Dewsbury Moor Upper had 75.6 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 61.6 per cent from the week before.

Upper Batley and Soothill had 73.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 58.3 per cent from the week before.

Ravensthorpe had 96.5 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 47.1 per cent from the week before.

Liversedge, Littletown and Millbridge had 143.3 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 40.0 per cent from the week before.

Dewsbury Savile Town and Thornhill Lees had 45.3 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 37.5 per cent from the week before.

Dewsbury Central and Westborough had 92.3 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 22.2 per cent from the week before.

Staincliffe and Healey had 104.9 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 20.0 per cent from the week before.

Batley Central had 156.8 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 15.4 per cent from the week before.

Earlsheaton and Chickenley had 151.9 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 11.7 per cent from the week before.

Battyeford had 255.6 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 10.5 per cent from the week before.

Cleckheaton had 290.4 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week, a decrease of 7.4 per cent from the week before.