The number of new coronavirus cases in Swindon’s top five worst-affected postcodes is more than triple that in the town’s least-affected areas.

Government data showed that on December 21, the latest date for which figure are available, wards Central North, Lawns and East Wichel, Rodbourne and Cheney Manor, Groundwell and Abbey Meads and Wroughton, Wichelstowe and Chiseldon logged 149 new covid cases.

That compared to the 41 cases diagnosed in the area’s least affected wards: Kingshill and Okus, Royal Wootton Bassett outer and Lyneham, Lydiard Millicent and Purton, Highworth, and Freshbrook North and Grange Park.

Swindon Advertiser:

The heat map for December 21 Source: GOV.UK

Central North, which encompasses the Railway Village and Broadgreen, recorded the highest case rate, with the equivalent of 359 new cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to December 21. 

Lyneham and the countryside surrounding Royal Wootton Bassett had the lowest new case rate: 69.3 per 100,000. 

Find the map for yourself here

The picture could change in coming days, with the ward-by-ward data not taking into account recent spikes in new coronavirus cases over the Christmas period. In the 24 hours to 4pm on Boxing Day, 136 new cases were diagnosed in Swindon alone.

The town is in Tier 3. Neighbouring Wiltshire is in Tier 2. Gloucestershire is in Tier 3 and Oxfordshire in Tier 4.