Quick analysis of councils on the watchlist -
Attached are the cases per 100K for each council in England currently on the government's watchlist - note that cases per 100K is not the only driver of watchlist status - latest cases per 100k for all councils in England is published here: www.covidmessenger.com/coronavirusliveupdate/
The data is up to an including Sept 17 as this is the most recent date for which reliable council level data is available.
For those not already familiar, there are three different "levels" on the government watchlist:
Area of Intervention: Areas where additional restrictions and interventions are deemed necessary to reduce the prevalence of the virus. This is the highest risk category, requiring the most support.
Area of Enhanced Support: Areas at risk of intervention where additional support and resources are being provided to help control the spread of the virus e.g. epidemiological expertise, additional mobile testing capacity etc.
Area of Concern: Areas with high rates of new infection where extra precautions are likely e.g. additional testing in care homes, engagement with high risk groups etc.
Usually an area joins the watchlist at the lowest level, as an "area of concern" and depending how the local outbreak progresses, either upgrades or downgrades in status over time.
But last week saw a number of councils added to the highest risk tier - an Area of Intervention - from not being on the watchlist at all the previous week.
The councils were:
Oadby and Wigston
Warrington
Halton
Wolverhampton
South Ribble
Chorley
North Tyneside
West Lancashire
County Durham
Wyre
Fylde
Northumberland
Lancaster
Ribble Valley
If you look at the daily and weekly cases in many of these areas over the latter part of August and early September it is a surprise (to me anyway) that they were not on the watchlist already.
In better news, its also great to see that a number of councils were removed from the watchlist (all had been "Areas of Concern" the prior week):
Great Yarmouth
Norwich
Swindon
Breckland
South Norfolk
King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Broadland
North Norfolk
(Randomly, I had also prepared a table of cases per 100K for councils in Greater London for a colleague which I have attached here in case anyone is interested in that also. The same for every council in England is published daily here: www.covidmessenger.com/coronavirusliveupdate/)
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