THE Isle of Wight finished 2020 with above average levels of Covid-19 — and with Sandown and Brading among the highest in the country.

In the seven days up to December 31, the Sandown and Brading area had a rolling rate of 1,155.9 cases per 100,000 residents — the standard by which the Covid levels are measured.

The towns recorded 109 cases between them, in just one week.

It put the area into the highest level on the government's interactive map.

In the same high-level category were the areas of Cowes West, Gurnard and Northwood (836.4), Ryde South (866.7), and Shanklin Central and Lake (994).

The lowest rate on the Island could be found in Yarmouth and Freshwater, with 189.7 per 100,000 people.

Isle of Wight County Press:

The Island as a whole had a rate of 687.7, above national average. It had previously been the lowest in England, which allowed the county Tier One status.

The data per 100,000 lags behind by five days, but has been rising since around December 8.

Since the pandemic began, the Island has recorded 2,783 coronavirus cases — 1,104 of those in the first five days of January.