DOZENS of areas across Dorset have not recorded any new coronavirus clusters, according to the latest data.

Public Health England breaks down the numbers of Covid-19 cases into neighbourhoods called 'Middle Super Output Areas' (MSOAs), which are smaller than council wards and based on population rather than geographical area

The interactive map, which can be found online, allows users to type in their postcode and see how many cases were reported in their area and if it has increased or decreased from the week before.

Government and Public Health England define a coronavirus cluster as an area where there are more than two coronavirus cases in a population size of 7,500 at any one time.

Some areas are coloured white and described as "suppressed", meaning MSOA level rates are suppressed and there have been zero to two cases in a seven-day period. This also protects the privacy of individuals and prevents disclosure.

According to data from Public Health England in the seven days up to Tuesday, March 16, these are the 64 areas without a coronavirus cluster in Dorset:

  • Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley
  • Beaminster, Maiden Newton & Halstock
  • Bere Regis & Lytchett Matravers
  • Blandford Forum Town
  • Boscombe East
  • Bovington, Wool & Lulworth
  • Branksome East
  • Bransgore & Burley
  • Broadstone
  • Bridport South and West Bay
  • Burton Bradstock & Chideock
  • Canford Heath East
  • Canford Heath West
  • Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown
  • Chickerell & Chesil Bank
  • Child Okeford & Iwerne Minster
  • Christchurch Town
  • Colehill
  • Corfe Castle & Langton Matravers
  • Creekmoor
  • Dorchester East
  • East Howe & Ensbury Park
  • Ferndown West & Canford Bottom
  • Gillingham
  • Hamworthy East
  • Highcliffe & Walkford
  • Iford
  • Jumpers Common & Fairmile
  • Kinson West
  • Kinson East
  • Littledown
  • Lyme Regis, Charmouth & Marshwood Vale
  • Merley
  • Moordown
  • Mudeford
  • Northbourne
  • Oakdale East
  • Oakdale West
  • Overmoigne, Broadmayne & Winterbourne
  • Queens Park
  • Parley & Hampreston
  • Poole Town
  • Preston & Lodmoor
  • Shaftesbury
  • Sherborne
  • Somerford
  • Southbourne West
  • St Leonards
  • Sturminster Marshall & Crichel
  • Sturminster Newton & Stalbridge
  • Swanage
  • Throop & Muscliffe
  • Townsend & Strouden
  • Upton & Lytchett Minster
  • Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath
  • Westham North & Radipole
  • Westham South
  • West Cliff
  • West Highcliffe
  • West Howe
  • West Moors
  • West Verwood
  • Weymouth West
  • Wimborne Minster
  • Winton
  • Yetminster, Bradford Abbas & Longburton

Coronavirus cases across Dorset continue to decrease, with 238 Covid-19 cases recorded in the seven days up to Tuesday, March 16.

The updated 'R rate' for the South West, including Dorset, has increased to between 0.6 - 0.9, which is on par with the latest R number range for the UK of 0.6 - 0.9.

The Government says an R-value between 0.6 and 0.9 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between six and nine other people.

The current growth rate in the South West is set at -8 to -3. The size of the growth rate indicates the speed of change.

A growth rate of between -8 per cent and -3 per cent means that the number of new infections is shrinking by between three and eight per cent every day.

Last week, the South West had an R rate of 0.5 - 0.8, with a growth rate between -10 per cent to -6 per cent.