With the third national lockdown now well under way after PM Boris Johnson's announcement earlier this week, learn more about the number of Covid cases in Hitchin and north Herts with a government interactive map.

The bad news is that cases of coronavirus in our town and surrounding areas have risen again with 51 confirmed cases and a rolling rate of 437.

The map uses official data to show the extent of coronavirus exposure in every area of the country within the past seven days during the current Covid crisis.

The map, which is updated with new figures every day, shows:

the number of cases in the past seven days

the rate of infection per 100,000 people in the population

how the area compares to the rest of England

Each area, known as a 'Middle Super Output Area', has an average population of 7,200.

Hitchin has moved from blue, which illustrates between 101 - 200 cases per 100,000 people, to purple, which illustrates 400 to 799 cases per 100,000 people - with the exact figure being 437 per 100,000.

To indicate how the virus is infecting more people in north Herts, nearby Letchworth also moved from blue to purple - meaning rates from 400 to 799 per 100,000 people.

The rise is a worrying trend reflected in the map - which previously had a high reference point of 400 cases per 100,000 – an illustration of how the virus is spreading across the county, and the UK as a whole.

Worryingly, nearby Stevenage has a rate of 800+ per 100,000 - which is more than double what it was after the second lockdown.

The latest data is correct as of January 1, 2021.

Review the interactive map here