AS Covid cases continue to fall across the country, we looked at how figures are being collected and how accurate they are since widespread free testing stopped in April.

Official Government figures on Covid case numbers have been affected since the announcement on April 1 that free testing kits would no longer be made available to everybody.

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From April 1, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) said that free tests would only be available to certain groups including NHS and care work staff and NHS patients in hospital.

This means that the Government's weekly Covid data is now dominated by those results, known as  ‘Pillar 1’ test results.

These tests are largely carried out in hospitals and for those eligible for covid antiviral and other treatments, and staff working in the NHS and social care.

Community data from the general public, known as 'Pillar 2' figures, taken from lateral and PCR test results is still being collected by the Government.

But the UKHSA says they ‘will no longer provide the same volume of data’ and will therefore 'not be the key component of the weekly reports’ as not everybody is testing or submitting results.

A different set of figures published on Friday (May 13) by the ONS (Office of National Statistics), show the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 is at its lowest since mid-December.

The ONS figures provide an estimate of current Covid infection rates based on testing thousands of people at random in households across the UK.

It is thought they provide the most accurate picture of infection since free testing for the public came to an end in England and Scotland on April 1. 

The latest ONS data covers the week up to May 7 and found that the percentage of people testing positive for Covid has continued to decrease in all UK countries.

In England, an estimated 1,204,100 people tested positive for the virus, equating to 2.21 per cent of the population or around one in 45 people.

The survey also found that most people previously considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid were continuing to take precautions to protect themselves.

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Of the Covid-vulnerable people in England, 13 per cent reported continuing to follow previous shielding advice and 69 per cent were no longer shielding but were taking extra precautions.

The majority of clinically vulnerable people (78 per cent) felt that it should be the law for those who test positive to self-isolate and 59 per cent felt that it should be the law to wear face masks in public spaces.

Here are the latest Government Covid infection figures by local authority area in the week up to May 8, listed in order of the highest percentage drop in infection rate.

Gateshead

Number of cases this week: 265

Covid infection rate: 131.2 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 33 per cent

South Tyneside

Number of cases this week: 210

Covid infection rate: 139 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 25.3 per cent

Richmondshire, North Yorkshire

Number of cases this week: 50

Covid infection rate: 93.1 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 24.2 per cent

North Tyneside

Number of cases this week: 263

Covid infection rate: 125.9 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 23.8 per cent

Hambleton, North Yorkshire

Number of cases this week: 108

Covid infection rate: 117.5 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 22.9 per cent

Northumberland

Number of cases this week: 413

Covid infection rate: 127.5 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 18.9 per cent

Newcastle

Number of cases this week: 352

Covid infection rate: 114.7 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 14.6 per cent

Sunderland

Number of cases this week: 364

Covid infection rate: 131 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 13.5 per cent

Redcar and Cleveland

Number of cases this week: 164

Covid infection rate: 119.5 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 11.4 per cent

Darlington

Number of cases this week: 150

Covid infection rate: 139.7 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 10.7 per cent

York

Number of cases this week: 230

Covid infection rate: 109 cases per 100,000 people

Cases DOWN by 8.7 per cent

Hartlepool

Number of cases this week: 105

Covid infection rate: 105 cases per 100,000 people

Cases UP by 7.1 per cent

Middlesbrough

Number of cases this week: 162

Covid infection rate: 162 cases per 100,000 people

Cases are DOWN by 1.2 per cent

Stockton

Number of cases this week: 235

Covid infection rate 119 cases per 100,000 people

Cases UP by 0.4 per cent

County Durham

Number of cases this week: 787

Covid infection rate: 147.6 cases per 100,000 people

Cases UP by 34 per cent

 

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