The district of Test Valley ranks in the upper half of all local authorities in the UK when it comes to rate of Covid-19 infection, figures have shown.

According to statistics released by the Government, as of Thursday morning (May 14), the local authority has seen 289 confirmed cases of Covid-19 at a rate of 231 people per 100,000.

This ranks 131st out of 316 local authorities in all the UK and fourth among Hampshire districts, behind Rushmoor, Winchester and Basingstoke.

Across Hampshire the total number and rates are: Southampton, 548, 216 per 100,000; New Forest, 250, 139 per 100,000; Isle of Wight 157, 111 per 100,000; Eastleigh 249, 189 per 100,000; East Hampshire 262, 217 per 100,000; Fareham 168, 144 per 100,000; Portsmouth 310, 144 per 100,000, Basingstoke and Deane 655, 372 per 100,000, Winchester 351, 282 per 100,000 and Rushmoor 357, 375 per 100,000.

Districts across the UK with similar infection rates as Test Valley include London boroughs such as Greenwich (234 per) and Camden (229 per).

The highest rate in the UK is Barrow-in-Furness at 822 per 100,000, while the borough with the most total cases is Birmingham at 3,162.

As of Wednesday, when the most recent figures were released, 147 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The trust covers hospitals in Winchester, Basingstoke and Andover.

Across the rest of Hampshire, 206 people have died at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 162 have died at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and 16 have died at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

A spokesman for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: “It would be difficult to say for certain, but it is worth bearing in mind that we (Hampshire Hospitals) got our in-house testing for COVID-19 up and running much faster than most, which has meant we have had the ability to test more widely, and for longer.”