CORONAVIRUS cases in Swanage have more than doubled within the space of a week, according to latest available data.

An interactive map, which uses Public Health England data, shows how many people have tested positive for the virus in each area of the county over the seven-day period up to Thursday, January 21.

Public Health England breaks down the numbers of coronavirus cases into neighbourhoods called 'Middle Super Output Areas' (MSOAs), which are smaller than council wards and based on population rather than geographical area.

The interactive map, which can be found through this link, allows users to type in their postcode and see how many cases were reported in their area and if it has increased or decreased from the week before. The darker the colour on the image, the more positive test results have been recorded.

Dorset Echo: Coronavirus cases in Swanage has doubled over a week. Picture: Public Health England

In the seven days up to Thursday, January 21, Swanage has reported 82 cases in the area, an increase of 44 on the seven days before.

The fresh active cases are a sharp increase on the 38 active cases reported in Swanage on Thursday, January 14.

Public Health England say this is a 115.8 per cent increase of positive tests in the area. The area has also reported a rolling case rate of 835.3, which is above the national average.

Swanage also has the highest rolling case rate of any areas in the Dorset Council territory, with several areas in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area reporting higher rates.

Blandford Forum Town has reported the second highest active cases within the Dorset Council area, with 72 positive tests.

Corfe Castle and Langton Matravers, which neighbours the Swanage area, has meanwhile reported 15 cases on Thursday, January 21, which is a decrease of nine cases in the same seven-day period.

Looking across the map, cases in areas around Dorset have started to decrease as both Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council areas reported a decline in Covid-19 cases.

Latest data shows 1,116 people tested positive for coronavirus across the Dorset Council area in the seven days up to Thursday, January 21. In the wider BCP Council area, 2,558 new cases have been confirmed in the same time period.

Cases across Dorset fell by 810 – 57 cases in Dorset Council and 753 cases in BCP Council area.