It’s good news for Andover as Covid-19 cases declined significantly across Test Valley in the latest test results.

There were sharp falls in cases, with Andover West seeing a decline of almost 80 per cent as there were 47 less cases in the week to July 29 than previously. Andover London Road & East Anton saw the biggest fall in cases, with 66 less than the week before.

Despite the drops, case rates remain high across Test Valley, with a number of areas above the English average of 292.4 cases per 100,000 people.

In the week leading up to July 29, Test Valley recorded 303 new cases, a decrease of 249 from the week before, with a rolling rate of 240.2 cases per 100,000 people.

Test Valley is also broken into smaller geographic areas, known as MSOAs, or Middle Layer Super Output Areas, which are smaller, postcode-linked areas that are used for a range of government statistics.

Breaking down the cases over the week up to July 29 by area, Tidworth & Ludgershall had the highest number of cases, at 59, but this was a decline from 55 the week before. Only Nether Wallop, Kings Somborne & Dunbridge had an increase in cases in this week, increasing from 24 to 27.

The areas with the lowest case loads in this period include Chilbolton, Clatford & Barton Stacey, with eight cases, and Over Wallop & Shipton Bellinger, with nine. The former had a rate of 151.9 per 100,000, and the latter 124.1.

As of Tuesday, August 3, Test Valley had reported 7,843 positive cases of Covid-19. There have so far been 255 deaths with Covid-19 recorded as the cause of death.

As of August 2, 179,472 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine had been given, including 97,658 first doses and 81,814 second doses.

Here’s the cases and rates over the week to July 29 broken down by each MSOA, with numbers first, and rates in brackets:

Tidworth & Ludgershall – 59 (326.2)

Andover London Road & East Anton – 55 (324.2)

Nether Wallop, Kings Somborne & Dunbridge – 27 (347.3)

Andover Newbury Road – 23 (299.9)

Andover Central – 20 (249.7)

Andover Charlton & Bourne Valley – 19 (269.4)

Andover South – 18 (223.4)

Overton & North Waltham – 16 (234.4)

Andover West – 12 (118.8)

Whitchurch & Ashmansworth – 11 (154.2)

South Wonston, Sutton Scotney and Micheldever – 10 (170.1)

Over Wallop & Shipton Bellinger – 9 (124.1)

Chilbolton, Clatford & Barton Stacey – 8 (151.9)