MULTIPLE 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 Saturday, February 27, these are the areas without a coronavirus cluster in Dorset:
- Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley
- Beaminster, Maiden Newton & Halstock
- Blandford Forum Town
- Boscombe East
- Bovington, Wool & Lulworth
- Branksome East
- Bridport South and West Bay
- Broadwey & Littlemoor
- Canford Heath West
- Colehill
- Corfe Castle & Langton Matravers
- Corfe Mullen
- Ferndown West & Canford Bottom
- Gillingham
- Hamworthy West
- Iford
- Jumpers Common & Fairmile
- Kinson West
- Kinson East
- Littledown
- Merley
- Mudeford
- Preston & Lodmoor
- Sherborne
- Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath
- Westham North & Radipole
- Westham South
- West Highcliffe
- West Howe
- Weymouth West
- Wimborne Minster
- Wyke Regis
- Yetminster, Bradford Abbas & Longburton
On the previous week up to the seven days to Saturday, February 20, 14 areas of Dorset reported no coronavirus clusters, including Blandford Outer & Tarrants, Chickerell & Chesil Bank and Milborne, Winterborne & Okeford Fitzpaine.
Coronavirus cases across Dorset continue to decrease, with 443 Covid-19 cases recorded in the seven days up to Saturday, February 27.
The updated 'R rate' for the South West, including Dorset, has decreased to between 0.6 - 0.8, which is below the latest R number range for the UK of 0.7 - 0.9.
The Government says an R-value between 0.6 and 0.8 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between six and eight other people.
The current growth rate in the South West is set at -8 to -5. The size of the growth rate indicates the speed of change.
A growth rate of between -8 per cent and -5 per cent means that the number of new infections is shrinking by between five and eight per cent every day.
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