Check how fast the Covid infection rate is rising in your area with this interactive map

As new lockdown measures come into force in England and Scotland, coronavirus cases across the UK have continued to rise at a rapid rate. Now, a new interactive map created by the Government allows you to discover how severe the rising Covid infection rate is in your local area, and across the rest of the country. How do I see my local area data? To see how your local area case numbers, visit the Government's interactive coronavirus dashboard. From there, you can input your postcode, and the map will take you to your location. You will be able to use the slider to see the increase or decrease in the Covid infection rate from August to 31 December The map displays weekly government data, and is updated everyday. You will also be able to see data from the whole of the UK, and small localised areas. However, specific data for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is not available. Large spike in cases in England According to Department of Health figures, several areas in England saw dramatic increases in Covid infection numbers in the most recent fortnight. Eight councils reporting the increases were in the North of England, including three in Cumbria and three in Liverpool. The Isle of Wight and Cornwall, which were Tier 1 areas up until Christmas, also saw escalating cases. In December, England saw coronavirus cases triple, jumping from 167 cases per 100,000 people to as high as 476.9. On 4 January, the UK recorded 58,784 new coronavirus cases - the highest ever daily number during the pandemic, and the seventh day in a row that infections had been above 50,000. England introduced strict lockdown restrictions, similar to those put in place in March, to combat the increase in cases. People may only leave their homes for reasons permitted in law, such as shopping for essentials, or for work required outside. Schools and colleges all movin to remote learning until February half term.