THIRTY-THREE areas across Dorset now appear within the highest bracket of Covid case rates on an interactive map on the government website.

A colour-coded map depicts areas where case rates are above 1,600 per 100,000 people in black.

Latest data for the seven days to January 4 shows a total of 33 locations across Dorset in the ‘black zone’. And 12 of the areas have rates above 2,000.

In the seven days to December 31, there were just 14 'black zone' areas in Dorset.

On the government map, the country is split up by Middle Super Output Areas (MSOA), which are small areas with an average population of 7,200, and the data is updated each weekday, with the map showing the last seven days for which complete data is available.

The map colour-codes areas depending on their seven-day rolling rate, with areas placed into the boundaries of 0-9, 10-49, 50-99, 100-199, 200-399, 400 to 799, 800 to 1,599 and 1,600 plus.

The 33 areas in Dorset with case rates above 1,60: 

  1. Wyke Regis - 159 cases, up 145 per cent on the previous week with 93 more infections. Case rate 2,896.7.
  2. Hamworthy East - 184 cases, up 109 per cent on the previous week with 96 more infections. Case rate 2,801.9.
  3. Broadwey & Littlemoor - 180 cases, up 88 per cent on the previous week with 84 more infections. Case rate 2,378.1.
  4. Southwell & Weston - 169 cases, up 111 per cent on the previous week with 89 more infections. Case rate 2,309.4.
  5. Hamworthy West - 159 cases, up 43 per cent on the previous week with 48 more infections. Case rate 2,242.6.
  6. Weymouth Town, Melcombe Regis & Rodwell - 217 cases, up 165 per cent on the previous week with 135 more infections. Case rate 2,239.7.
  7. Chickerell & Chesil Bank – 186 cases, up 104 per cent on the previous week with 95 more infections. Case rate 2,237.7.
  8. Weymouth West – 115 cases, up 80 per cent on the previous week with 51 more infections. Case rate 2,233.
  9. Oakdale East – 201 cases, up 62 per cent on the previous week with 77 more infections. Case rate 2,189.5.
  10. Westham South - 163 cases, up 123 per cent on the previous week with 90 more infections. Case rate 2,132.9.
  11. Westham North & Radipole - 186 cases, up 90 per cent on the previous week with 88 more infections. Case rate 2,110.
  12. Wimborne Minster – 162 cases, up 37.3 per cent on the previous week with 44 more infections. Case rate 2,089.
  13. Oakdale West – 165 cases, up 38 per cent on the previous week with 45 more infections. Case rate 1,983.2.
  14. Bearwood - 105 cases, up 36 per cent on the previous week with 28 more infections. Case rate 1,904.2.
  15. Canford Heath East - 140 cases, up 19 per cent on the previous week with 22 more infections. Case rate 1,896.5.
  16. Newtown (Poole) - 205 cases, up 44 per cent on the previous week with 63 infections. Case rate 1,888.
  17. Preston & Lodmoor - 161 cases, up 101 per cent on the previous week with 81 more infections. Case rate 1,852.3.
  18. Kinson East - 113 cases, up 23 per cent on the previous week with 21 more infections. Case rate 1,800.8.
  19. Canford Heath West - 121 cases, up 25 per cent on the previous week with 24 more infections. Case rate 1,788.6.
  20. Underhill & The Grove - 106 cases, up 63 per cent on the previous week with 41 more infections. Case rate 1,738.
  21. East Verwood - 130 cases, up 34 per cent on the previous week with 33 more infections. Case rate 1,733.8.
  22. Upton & Lytchett Minster - 152 cases, up 42 per cent on the previous week with 45 more infections. Case rate 1,731.2.
  23. Corfe Mullen - 176 cases, up 46 per cent on the previous week with 55 more infections. Case rate 1,717.4.
  24. Townsend & Strouden - 110 cases, up 64 per cent on the previous week with 43 more infections. Case rate 1,693.6.
  25. East Southbourne & Hengistbury Head – 139 cases, up 60 per cent on the previous week with 52 more infections. Case rate 1,698.4.
  26. Queen's Park (Bournemouth) - 145 cases, up 48 per cent on the previous week with 47 more infections. Case rate 1,676.5.
  27. Southbourne West – 144 cases, up 67 per cent on the previous week with 58 more infections. Case rate 1,674.8.
  28. Moordown - 134 cases, up 22 per cent on the previous week with 24 more infections. Case rate 1,665.4.
  29. West Cliff (Bournemouth) - 133 cases, up 43 per cent on the previous week with 40 more infections. Case rate 1,634.7.
  30. West Verwood - 125 cases, up 58 per cent on the previous week with 46 more infections. Case rate 1,623.8.
  31. Jumpers Common & Fairmile - 134 cases, up 34 per cent on the previous week with 34 more infections. Case rate 1,610.6.
  32. Dorchester West & Poundbury - 203 cases, up 126 per cent on the previous week with 113 more infections. Case rate 1,605.8.
  33. Parkstone - 154 cases, up 56 per cent on the previos week with 55 more infections. Case rate 1,601.8.

During the period, 5334 cases were recorded across the Dorset Council area giving a rate of 1,404.5.

There were 1,868 more infections compared to the previous week with a 54 per cent jump in infections.

Meanwhile, 6,186 people tested positive for Covid across the BCP Council area giving a rate of 1,588.2.

This was an increase of 1,406 cases on the previous week, up 29 per cent.