YORK'S coronavirus rate is now higher than other Yorkshire cities including Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield after rocketing over the past fortnight.

The rolling seven-day rate for the City of York Council area in the week to December 23 was 218.4 per 100,000 population.

That is higher than the regional average of 189.1 for Yorkshire and The Humber, and than 172.4 in Sheffield, 190.6 in Bradford and 184.8 in Leeds.

It is also higher than the average of 174.7 across North Yorkshire and 179.1 across East Yorkshire.

York's figure is still lower than the national average for England of 401.9 but it represents a disturbing change for a city which less than a fortnight ago had one of the lowest rates in the country, with only about 65 cases per 100,000 population.

The city's success in keeping the rate down then led to both of York's MPs pressing - unsuccessfully - for the city to move into Tier 1, with more relaxed restrictions.

Now the sudden rise in case numbers will prompt fears that the city will be moved instead into the harshest restrictions of Tier 4 during a Government review later this week.