Surge of nearly 3,000 new Covid cases in Leeds over weekend and infection rate almost double average

Public Health England figures show that 32,062 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Monday (November 16) in Leeds, up from 29,070 the same time on Friday.

As of Monday (November 16), PHE has updated the way it records the location of people who test positive or negative for the virus.

The address given at the point of testing will now be used to determine a person's area of residence, rather than that on their electronic NHS record, with the change retrospectively applied to tests carried out from September 1.

PHE said: "Due to reallocation of cases in this way, the number of cases reported by a local authority may be artificially high or low on November 16."

The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

The rate of infection in Leeds now stands at 4,042 cases per 100,000 people, far higher than the England average of 2,122, almost double the average.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 73,185 over the period, to 1,390,681.

Leeds's cases were among the 185,714 recorded across Yorkshire and The Humber, a figure which rose by 10,233 over the period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.