COVID-19 rate drops under 30 cases per 100,000 in Derry and to zero in Castlederg but Strabane skews district rate upwards
The seven-day COVID-19 rate in the BT48 and BT47 areas of Derry has fallen to under 30 cases per 100,000 while Castlederg recorded no cases over the past week.
Strabane, by contrast, is recording the second highest prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the north and skewing the overall rate in the Derry City and Strabane district upwards.
Between March 1 and March 7 there were 15 SARS-CoV-2 cases on the cityside (BT48) giving a rate per 100,000 of 24.6. This is down on the figure of 39.4 per 100,000 for the February 22 and February 28 period recorded last Monday.
In the BT47 postal area - the Derry Waterside and its rural hinterland as far as Dungiven - there were 17 positive tests over the same weekly period giving a rate per 100,000 of 27.5, down on the figure of 56.6 this time last week.
In Strabane (BT82), however, there were 51 cases giving a prevalence rate of 189.7 cases per 100,000. Though down on the figure of 234.3 last week it is still the second highest rate in the north after the BT64 area of Craigavon where the rate is 275.6 per 100,000.
In Castlederg there were no cases at all. Just a fortnight ago the BT81 district was recording a rate of 126.7 cases per 100,000 last week.