THESE are the two areas in Test Valley with the highest coronavirus rates, the latest Government data has revealed.

Infection rates are starting to rise across the borough as scientists believe the variant of coronavirus first identified in India, now known as Delta, has become the dominant strain in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) has said.

In Test Valley, 22 infections were recorded in the week to May 29 - up by 18 cases on the previous week.

This means the borough had a rolling rate of 17.4 cases per 100,000 people.

The area with the highest infection rate in Test Valley was Andover London Road & East Anton, which saw nine cases in the seven days to May 29 - up by seven on the previous week.

The area had a rolling rate of 53.1 cases per 100,000 people.

However, the infection rate was still classed as below average compared to the England average.

Andover Newbury Road had the second-highest case rate in the borough, with three infections recorded - up by one on the previous week.

It had a weekly rolling rate of 39.1 cases per 100,000 people.

The rest of Test Valley documented fewer than three cases, meaning these areas were nearly Covid-free.

The data for these places was suppressed to protect individuals' privacy.

Compared to the UK's worst coronavirus hotspot, Blackburn with Darwen which had 657 cases in the week to May 29, Test Valley's cases rate is still small.

Before this, Bolton was the worst-hit Covid-19 area, but cases are now falling following successful surge testing and vaccination programmes in recent weeks.