ELEVEN areas of Dorset have weekly coronavirus rates in the highest category listed on the government’s statistics portal.

An interactive map, which uses Public Health England data, shows how many people have tested positive for the virus in each area of the county over the seven-day period up to Sunday, October 18.

Public Health England breaks down the numbers of coronavirus 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 through this link, 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. The darker the colour on the image, the more positive test results have been recorded.

The map highlights which areas of the county have three or more confirmed cases of the virus and colour co-coordinates the areas by how many cases they have.

In the seven days up to Sunday, October 18, the Dorset Council area reported 2,180 Covid-19 cases, with a rate of 574 cases per 100,000 people. The BCP Council area reported 1,807 cases, which equates to a rate of 455.2 cases per 100,000 people.

The following 11 areas of Dorset had the highest case rates across the county in the week to October 18:

  1. Bovington, Wool & Lulworth – 1,352.6 cases per 100,000 people (119 cases up from 48)
  2. Bere Regis & Lytchett Matravers – 1,158.7 cases per 100,000 people (69 cases up from 46 in the previous seven days)
  3. Yetminster, Bradford Abbas & Longburton – 1,038.9 cases per 100,000 people (82 cases up from 53)
  4. Lyme Regis, Charmouth & Marshwood Vale – 951.2 cases per 100,000 people (69 cases up from 25)
  5. Throop & Musclifff – 899.3 cases per 100,000 people (82 cases up from 60)
  6. Merley – 896.3 cases per 100,000 people (55 cases up from 13)
  7. Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath – 874 cases per 100,000 people (77 cases up from 23)
  8. Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown – 856.5 cases per 100,000 people (102 cases up from 67)
  9. Owermoigne, Broadmayne & Winterbourne – 852.3 cases per 100,000 people (69 cases up from 35)
  10. Littledown 831.7 cases per 100,000 people (54 cases up from 27)
  11. Iford – 827.4 cases per 100,000 people (62 cases up from 28)