COVID-19 spikes in Derry's cityside (BT48) and Waterside (BT47)

The coronavirus rate has spiked on both banks of the Foyle.

Between December 21 and December 27 the case rate in BT48, which covers the west bank of the River Foyle, was up to 412.4 per 100,000 people with 251 cases registered during the week.

This was up from case rates of 302.3 last week, 157.7 a fortnight ago,, 187.3 per 100,000 three weeks ago, 187.7 per 100,000 four weeks ago, 194.3 per 100,000 five weeks ago, 217.4 six weeks ago, 283.2 per 100,000 seven weeks ago and 398.5 per 100,000 eight weeks ago.

It was lower than the rates of 691.6 per 100,000 nine weeks ago and 1,155.9 per 100,000 ten weeks ago, when the Department of Health started providing a breakdown by postal area.

In BT47, the Waterside and its rural hinterland to Dungiven, the coronavirus rate has also rocketed.

Between December 21 and December 27 the case rate in BT47 was 446.1 per 100,000 with 276 positive cases registered in the week.

This was up from 221.4 per 100,000 last week, 274.8 per 100,000 a fortnight ago, 260.2 per 100,000 three weeks ago, 214.8 per 100,000 people four weeks ago, 232.7 per 100,000 five weeks ago, 216.4 per 100,000 six weeks ago, 275 per 100,000 seven weeks ago and 364.5 per 100,000 eight weeks ago.

It was lower than the rates of 595.5 per 100,000 nine weeks ago, and 997.4 per 100,000 ten weeks ago.

In Strabane (BT82), between December 21 and December 27, there were 32 cases giving a prevalence rate of 119, virtually no change week-on-week.

In the Castlederg area (BT81) the case rate was 316.9 per 100,000 people with 25 cases registered during the week, a large rise, albeit in much less populous area.