YORK'S coronavirus rate is now more than seven times higher than only a month ago - leaving the city an island of purple surrounded by blue on an official Covid map.

Public Health England said today that the seven-day rolling rate in the City of York Council area in the week to December 30 was 428.7 new cases per 100,000 population - which compared with just 59 in early-mid December.

The figure took York above the threshold of 400 on a Public Health England map showing coronavirus rates across the country, meaning it was shaded purple, with all surrounding areas shaded blue because they had rates of between 200 and 399.

There was a rate of 293 in the North Yorkshire County Council area, 204 in the East Riding of Yorkshire Council area, 247.2 across Yorkshire and the Humber and 518.5 for the whole of England.

Woodthorpe and Acomb Wood saw 115 new cases in the week, equivalent to a rate of 1,231 per 100,000 population, but several other areas of York also had big increases.

Bishopthorpe and Copmanthorpe saw 54 new cases, a rolling rate of 650.9 per 100,000, Poppleton, Rufforth & Askham had 44 new cases, a rate of 690.3,South Bank & Dringhouses had 51 cases, a rate 653.8 and Clifton Without & Skelton had 51 cases, a rate of 599.4.

An area on the eastern side of the city with a high rate was Dunnington, Elvington & Wheldrake, with 40 new cases, a rate of 617.4.

In the north of the city, Wigginton had 25 new cases, a rate of 409.9, Haxby had 12, or a rate of 208.9 and Strensall had 18, or 258.2.