Covid-19 rates in Sandwell 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 Sandwell cases are down - there were 1366.4 new Covid cases recorded in the week to 13 January, compared with 1220.8 cases in the week to 20 January - a fall of 10.7%.

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 Sandwell found in 100.0% of all Covid samples tested in the region by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

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

Stealth Omicron only accounts for 0.2% of Covid infections in Sandwell at the moment, according to the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Numbers are growing both in the UK 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 Sandwell with the biggest rise in case rates in the past week.

Biggest rise

1. Rowley East

Rowley East has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 57.1% from 1592.6 cases per 100,000 people to 2502.7.

2. Great Barr

Great Barr has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 32.2% from 904.9 cases per 100,000 people to 1196.3.

3. Brandhall

Brandhall has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 32.0% from 1232.8 cases per 100,000 people to 1627.8.

4. Friar Park

Friar Park has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 15.7% from 1468 cases per 100,000 people to 1697.9.

5. Cradley Heath

Cradley Heath has seen case rates of positive Covid cases rise by 13.1%, from 1440.6 cases per 100,000 people to 1629.8.

Biggest fall

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

1. Stone Cross & Hateley Heath

Stone Cross & Hateley Heath has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 39.7% from 1352.8 cases per 100,000 people to 815.1.

2. Hamstead East

Hamstead East has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 39.6% from 1479.6 cases per 100,000 people to 893.6.

3. Wednesbury South

Wednesbury South has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 33.6% from 1441.1 cases per 100,000 people to 957.5.

4. Charlemont

Charlemont has seen case rates of positive Covid cases fall by 31.8%, from 1465 cases per 100,000 people to 999.3.

5. Oldbury & Rood End

Oldbury & Rood End has seen case rates of positive cases fall by 31.4% from 1284.2 cases per 100,000 people to 880.6.

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