AS the Omicron variant enters Hampshire, Covid cases in Winchester have continued to increase.

From the figures released on December 10, there have been 22 reported cases of Omicron in Hampshire with one in Winchester.

In the seven days up to December 14, there have been 810 Covid cases reported in Winchester, with a case rate of 643 per 100,000.

This is an increase of 57 from 753 cases in the seven days up to December 6.

The latest cases of Covid in hospitals in Hampshire are 46. This covers 23 in Royal Hampshire County Hospital, 19 in Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, and four in Andover War Memorial Hospital.

The breakdown of the Covid cases in the 14 areas of Winchester in the seven days up to December 9 are as follows.

The highest rate of cases is in South Wonston, Sutton Scotney and Micheldever with 67 cases, up 19 (40 per cent) with 1,132 per 100,000 people.

Second is Winchester West with 82 cases, down 21 (20 per cent) with 824 per 100,000 people.

Third is Bishop’s Waltham and Waltham Chase with 74 cases, up 20 (37 per cent) with 755 per 100,000 people.

Fourth: Winchester North and Sparsholt, 72 cases, down two (three per cent), 737.

Fifth: Springvale and Itchen Abbas, 48 cases, down three (six per cent), 699.

Sixth: Wickham, Knowle and Whiteley, 80 cases, up six (eight per cent), 681.

Seventh: Alresford, 57 cases, up 14 (33 per cent), 672.

Eighth: Denmead and Southwick, 67 cases, up one (1.5 per cent), 633.

The others are: Swanmore, West Meon and Hambledon, 51 cases, up two (four per cent), 579; Winchester Central and South, 61 cases, up seven (13 per cent), 545; Oliver’s Battery and Hursley, 44 cases, up 20 (83 per cent), 537; Winchester East, 39 cases, down 18 (32 per cent), 481; Colden Common and Twyford, 41 cases, down 19 (32 per cent), 427; Winchester Stanmore, 27 cases, up four (17 per cent), 390.

The government dashboard shows 184 people had died in the area by December 14.

It means there has been one death in the past week, which is an increase on none the previous week.

They were among 18,948 deaths recorded across the South East.

The figures include anyone who died within 28 days of a positive test result for Covid, and whose usual residence was in Winchester.