Calcot North and Little Heath is the area of West Berkshire that recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases last week.

The latest figures (updated January 18) show 522 people tested positive for the virus in West Berkshire between January 6 and January 13 – 28 fewer than in the previous week.

Public Health England has broken down the data to show the number of confirmed cases recorded in local neighbourhoods, which are known as Middle Super Output Areas (MSOAs).

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Over that seven-day period, 53 people tested positive for the virus in Calcot North and Little Heath (54 cases in the previous week).

There were 43 confirmed cases in Newbury Central and Greenham, 34 in Calcot South and 33 in Thatcham South East and Bradfield.

Thatcham West recorded 30 cases and Newbury South West recorded 28.

There were 27 cases in Thatcham Town, 26 in Burghfield Common and 25 in Theale and Beenham.

Confirmed cases recorded in other areas of West Berkshire:

  • Streatley and Pangbourne – 24
  • Westwood – 22
  • Mortimer and Aldermaston – 22
  • Newbury North West – 21
  • Purley on Thames – 21
  • Newbury Clay Hill – 20
  • Hermitage and Cold Ash – 17
  • Thatcham North East – 17
  • Lambourn and Great Shefford – 17
  • Newbury Wash Common – 14
  • Hungerford – 11
  • Chieveley, East Ilsley and Compton – 11
  • Kintbury and Boxford – 6

When the second national lockdown was lifted on December 2, West Berkshire had one of the lowest infection rates in the country (54.3 cases per 100,000).

But when Prime Minister Boris Johnson took the decision to impose a third lockdown on January 4, West Berkshire’s infection rate had reached 421.6.

Public health experts believe a new and more infectious variant of the virus, first detected in Kent, caused cases to surge.

The infection rate in West Berkshire currently stands at 329.4 cases per 100,000, after 522 new cases.