Covid-19 rates in Birmingham neighbourhoods: where cases are rising and falling the fastest

Coronavirus cases have stopped falling across the UK and have levelled off at a high rate, official figures show.

There were 634,026 cases in the week ending January 21 - a 0.2% rise on the number seen the week before.

It is double the number of cases the UK saw in the last week of November, before the Omicron wave.

The flat national picture disguises huge regional variations, with cases up by 26% in a week in Northern Ireland and 20% in the South East of England but down by 21% in Scotland and 15% in the North East.

In Birmingham cases are down - there were 1150.1 new Covid cases recorded in the week to 13 January, compared with 1015.1 cases in the week to 20 January - a fall of 11.7%.

Case numbers include positive lateral flow tests in England and Northern Ireland but exclude them in Scotland and Wales, making comparisons across the UK nations difficult.

Omicron is now the major Covid variant in Birmingham found in 99.4% of all Covid samples tested in the city by the Wellcome Sanger Institut.

The Covid strain ‘stealth Omicron’ has also been detected in Birmingham which the UK Health Security Agency named ‘a variant under investigation’ on January 2 with the first sample found on December 6.

Stealth Omicron now accounts for 0.4% of Covid infections in Birmingham.

Numbers are growing both here and abroad.

Early analysis suggests it has a faster growth rate than the Omicron strain currently dominant in the UK, BA.1, but there is not enough evidence to say whether it causes more severe illness.

At neighbourhood level, Covid-19 case rates have been published for the week to January 20.

We’ve taken a look at where Covid rates are falling and rising the fastest in Birmingham.

Here are the neighbourhoods in Birmingham with the biggest rise in case rates in the past week.

Biggest rise

1. Lifford & Walkers Heath

Lifford & Walkers Heath has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 42.8% from 1062.8 cases per 100,000 people to 1518.2.

2. Cotteridge

Cotteridge has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 36.2%, from 1016.5 cases per 100,000 people to 1384.8.

3. Bournville East & Stirchley West

Bournville East & Stirchley West has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 35.4% from 1023.8 cases per 100,000 people to 1385.9.

4. Billesley Common

Billesley Common has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 30.2%, from 1184.9 cases per 100,000 people to 1542.8.

5. Ward End & Bromford West

Ward End & Bromford West has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 23.9%, from 919.7 cases per 100,000 people to 1139.8.

Biggest fall

Here are the neighbourhoods in Birmingham with the biggest drop in case rates in the past week.

1. Digbeth

Digbeth has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 54.7%from1215.8 cases per 100,000 people to 550.3.

2. Lozells West

Lozells West has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 47.6%, from 924 cases per 100,000 people to 484.0.

3. Hockley & Jewellery Quarter

Hockley & Jewellery Quarter has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 47.2%, from 1121.4 cases per 100,000 people to 591.8.

4. Five Ways North

Five Ways North has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 45.2% from 1064.6 cases per 100,000 people to 583.8.

5. Greet & Sparkhill South

Greet & Sparkhill South has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 42.6% from 1475.1 cases per 100,000 people to 846.6.

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