Covid-19: The Manchester neighbourhoods where cases are rising fastest

There were 2,132 new Covid cases confirmed in the week up to 7 December, giving Manchester a rolling infection rate of 383.6 cases per 100,000 people.

This is an increase of 22.5% compared to the previous seven-day period.

Around that time, there were five confirmed cases of the Omicron variant with 32 probable Omicron cases identified in the week commencing 29 November.

It comes as uptake of the Covid vaccine remains relatively low in Manchester with less than two thirds of the city’s population having received both doses.

The highest infection rate during that time was in Burnage South where the number of new Covid cases confirmed in the neighbourhood has doubled.

At 804.7, this area has one of the highest infection rates in the city-region.

But nearby in Levenshulme North, the infection rate has dropped to 164.7. The number of new cases that were confirmed in this neighbourhood was 24.

The lowest infection rate recorded in Manchester during the week was in University North and Whitworth Street where 15 new cases were confirmed.

The rolling rate in this neighbourhood, which covers part of the city centre, was 135.2 cases per 100,000 people – a 31.8% drop since the week before.

This is also the area with the lowest uptake of the vaccine with only 37.8% of the population having received their first does and less than half having both.

In Hulme and University too, fewer than 50% have had their second dose.

Elsewhere in the city, there are pockets of high infection in north of the city centre in Collyhurst, Miles Platting, Beswick, Newton Heath and New Moston.

South of the city centre, in areas like Hulme, Whalley Range, Rusholme and Longsight, the infection rate has been lower, ranging between 200 and 400.

The infection rate is higher than 400 cases per 100,000 people in the south of the city including in Didsbury, Northernden and the western parts of Chorlton.

Parts of Wythenshawe have seen a fall in the infection rate, but in Woodhouse Park and around Manchester Airport, the infection rate has risen to 653.4.

The highest uptake of the vaccine in Manchester as of 11 December was in Northernden where 81.7% have had both jabs, followed by Didsbury Village.