Covid rates in Berkshire

[Cookham v Coronavirus]

More than 13,000 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed across Berkshire in seven days - the latest figures show.

Data released on Tuesday night, January 4, by Public Health England shows that Wokingham Borough saw 2,510 new coronavirus cases confirmed in the county in the seven days up until December 30.

Bracknell Forest continues to have the highest infection rate in the county however - at 1,791.2 per 100,000 people.

Latest Covid rates per 100,000 people for every area of Berkshire according to Public Health England figures released on Tuesday, January 4 (and new cases confirmed in the seven days up to December 30 2021):

Bracknell:1,791.2 (2,224 new cases)

Windsor and Maidenhead: 1,518.4 (2,297 new cases)

Wokingham Borough:1,443.0 (2,510 new cases)

Reading:1,440.7 (2,310 new cases)

West Berkshire: 1,340.4 (2,124 new cases)

Slough: 1,270.2 (1,900 new cases)

Boris Johnson has said there is a “good chance” he will not impose fresh restrictions to tackle the massive wave of Omicron cases, as he backed sticking with Plan B measures despite acknowledging parts of the NHS will feel “temporarily overwhelmed”.

The Prime Minister confirmed he would advocate to his Cabinet the need to stick with work-from-home guidance, mask-wearing and Covid health passes to “ride out” the wave of infections but warned that anyone who believes the battle against the disease is over is “profoundly wrong”.

With daily lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in England and Scotland exceeding 200,000 for the first time, Mr Johnson acknowledged now is the time for the “utmost caution” but argued the booster rollout has given substantial protection to the nation.

“So together with the Plan B measures that we introduced before Christmas we have a chance to ride out this Omicron wave without shutting down our country once again,” he told a Downing Street press conference on the eve of the review date for the restrictions announced four weeks ago.

“We can keep our schools and our businesses open and we can find a way to live with this virus.”