Covid-19 in Cambridgeshire: Case numbers for every neighbourhood as infection rate drops by nearly a third
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Cambridgeshire in the seven days to February 14 fell by nearly a third, but our analysis shows a mixed picture in progress against the virus across the county.
Below we look at a neighbourhood level across every district to see how lockdown restrictions, aided by the vaccination roll-out, have been suppressing the spread of the coronavirus.
It shows that South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge have seen welcome falls in infection rates to below 75 cases per 100,000, but in Huntingdonshire and Fenland the rate is above the national average. East Cambridgeshire, meanwhile, witnessed the slowest decline in case numbers.
Overall, Cambridgeshire had 740 cases in the seven-day period, down 335 (31.2 per cent) on the previous week. This took the infection rate for the county to 113.2 cases per 100,000 people, narrowly below the national average, and equivalent to where it stood around the second week of December.
But there were a further six deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test confirmed in the county on Friday, taking the total to 725 since the pandemic began.
Across the border in Peterborough, the situation is far worse. The infection rate there was 261.1 per 100,000 - one of the highest in the country.
As of Friday (February 19), 16.9 million people across the UK had received their first Covid-19 vaccination, and a second jab had been administered to nearly 590,000 of them.
On Monday (February 22), Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out the government roadmap out of lockdown.
Cambridge
There were 91 confirmed new cases of Covid-19 cases in the week to February 14 - the first week below 100 since the start of December.
This was 56 fewer cases than the week before, representing a welcome 38.1 per cent decline.
It means the infection level is now at 72.9 cases per 100,000 people - a very clear indication that the lockdown has had a major impact, aided by the vaccination programme.
King’s Hedges, with 22 cases, up from 12 the previous week, was the worst affected area, while Trumpington was the other area to record an increase on February 1-7 - up one to 11.
Two areas - Central and West Cambridge, and Cherry Hinton - recorded 0-2 cases. At this geographic level, Public Health England does not indicate if there has been one or two cases to protect privacy.
There have now been 5,282 confirmed cases in Cambridge since the pandemic began, with daily case data indicating another 63 cases in the five days from February 15-18.
There have been seven deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test this month in Cambridge, taking the total to 83. As of February 5, there had been 115 deaths mentioning Covid-19 on the death certificate.
South Cambridgeshire
The biggest week on week fall in confirmed cases in the county came in South Cambridgeshire, where there were 118 infections in the week to February 14.
This was down by 111 (48.5 per cent), and took the infection rate to 74.2 per 100,000, well below the national average.
Histon, Impington and Orchard Park was worst hit in the district - as it has been every week of this year to date - with 18 cases, but this was a decline on the 22 recorded in the previous seven-day period.
Three areas recorded increases, week-on-week: Bar Hill and Boxworth (up from 0-2 to five), Duxford, Whittlesford and the Abingtons (up from four to seven) and Sawston (up from five to six).
Bassingbourn and Cottenham both recorded welcome drops from 20 cases to five.
Two areas - Great Shelford and Stapleford, and Milton, Fen Ditton and Quy - recorded 0-2 cases.
Daily case data shows a further 53 cases in the five days from February 15-19, taking the total recorded since the pandemic begam to 5,401.
Two more deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in South Cambridgeshire on Friday, taking the total since the pandemic began to 138, including 25 in February.
As of February 5, there had been 146 mentioning Covid-19 on the death certificate.
East Cambridgeshire
Cases numbers also fell in East Cambridgeshire, but more slowly than anywhere else in the county.
There were 86 new infections recorded in the seven days to February 14, down 21 (19.6 per cent) week on week. This took the infection rate to 95.7 cases per 100,000, below the national average.
More than a quarter of these were in Soham, which had 24 cases, two more than the previous week. Littleport, with 13, and Swaffham and Bottisham, with 12, were the only other areas in double figures. Burwell had 0-2 cases.
There have now been 2,780 confirmed cases in the district since the pandemic began, including 46 in the five days from February 14-18.
There have been 89 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, including nine this month.
As of February 5, there were 100 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.
Huntingdonshire
Infections fell by a quarter in Huntingdonshire week-on-week.
There were 230 cases in the week to February 14, down 80 (25.8 per cent). But this meant the infection rate was 129.2 cases per 100,000 people, which was above the national average.
Every area recorded cases, as our table shows, and worst hit were Huntingdon Central and West (21), Kimbolton, Great Staughton and Molesworth (20) and Sawtry and Gidding (19). The latter two were among five areas witnessing an increase in cases, week on week.
Daily case data shows a further 141 cases in Huntingdonshire in the five days from February 15-19, taking the total recorded since the pandemic began to 7,022.
Three more deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the district on Friday, taking the total to 220, including 30 this month.
As of February 5, there had been 226 deaths mentioning Covid-19 on the death certificate.
Fenland
In Fenland, there were 215 cases in the seven days to February 14, down 67 (23.8 per cent) week-on-week.
This meant the infection rate was 211.1 - one of the higher numbers in the country and by far the highest in Cambridgeshire, although neighbouring Peterborough’s rate was higher still.
Driving this rate is the ongoing high incidence in the town of Wisbech.
The Wisbech North area was the worst affected in Cambridgeshire, with 79 cases - up 20 on the previous week. Wisbech South and Peckover, with 58, was not far behind, although this was a decline of 20 on the previous week.
The next highest number in Fenland was 14, in Whittlesey.
Daily case data shows a further 140 cases in the district in the five days from February 15-19, taking the total to 4,681 since the pandemic began.
There have been 195 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, including one on Friday (February 19), which was the 18th this month in Fenland.
As of February 5, there had been 198 deaths mentioning Covid-19 on the death certificate.
Peterborough
Peterborough still has one of the worst infection rates in the country.
It recorded 528 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the seven days to February 14, down 81 (13.3 per cent), meaning the rate of decline in the city is far slower than in neighbouring Cambridgeshire. The infection rate was 261.1 cases per 100,000, indicating there is still much to be done to get on top of transmission.
Every area was affected, but Millfield and Bourges Boulevard was by far the worst hit, with 70 cases representing a major spike on the 29 seen in the previous week.
Hargate and Orton Longueville (35 cases), Central Park (32) and Orton Malborne and Goldhay were the three other areas with more than 30 cases.
Least affected were Bretton Park and Werrington, with seven cases each.
There have now been 13,528 cases confirmed in Peterborough since the pandemic began, including 404 in the five days from February 15-19.
Six more deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded on Friday (February 19), taking the total in Peterborough to 319, including 45 this month.
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