ONLY 13 areas of Dorset are reporting active coronavirus cases as the spread of Covid-19 continues to fall across the county.

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, April 4.

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.

Dorset Echo: There are varying levels of coronavirus cases in Dorset. Picture: Public Health EnglandThere are varying levels of coronavirus cases in Dorset. Picture: Public Health England

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, March 28, Dorset reported 103 cases. The case rate compared to the UK average is below the national average.

A majority of areas in Dorset are now reporting fewer than three cases, meaning they appear as 'suppressed' on the map. 

The following areas in Dorset confirmed coronavirus cases over the last week. The areas where cases have increased are marked in bold. 

  • Creekmoor - Three cases
  • East Cliff - Three cases
  • Hamworthy East - Three cases (up by one)
  • Moordown - Three cases
  • Newtown - Three cases
  • Penn Hill - Three cases (up by one)
  • Broadwey & Littlemoor - Four cases
  • Central Bournemouth - Four cases (up by one)
  • Corfe Mullen - Four cases (up by two)
  • Poole Town - Four cases (up by one)
  • Sturminster Newton & Stalbridge - Four cases
  • Boscombe West - Five cases (up by two)
  • Westham North & Radipole - Five cases (up by three)

The 'R rate' for the South West, including Dorset, stands at between 0.7 - 1.0, which is below the latest R number range for the UK of 0.8 - 1.0.

The Government says an R-value between 0.7 and 1.0 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between seven and ten other people.

Read more - Covid herd immunity could be reached 'within days' in the UK 

The current growth rate in the South West is set at -6 to 0. The size of the growth rate indicates the speed of change.

A growth rate of between -6 per cent and 0 per cent means that the number of new infections is shrinking by between zero and five per cent every day.

Last week, the South West had an R rate of 0.7 - 1.0 with a growth rate of -5 to 0.