Following news that Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has continued to record the highest Covid case rate in the country since Tuesday, it should come as no surprise that it has been turned the darkest shade on the map.

The Duchy is the only local authority area in the country to be dark purple on the government's cluster map - meaning its weekly average case rate rose above 800 cases per 100,000 - only matched by one part of Scotland and two in Northern Ireland in the rest of the UK.

However, it should be remembered that the map runs on a five-day delay, meaning Saturday's update of the government's dashboard map, showing Cornwall's 72 cluster areas and their weekly cases figures, reports the figures for the seven days leading up to Monday this week, August 23, and does not include the gradual fall seen in the daily case figures this past week.

And many have pointed out that the figures are calculated using the mid-2020 estimates for the permanent population of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, rather than the heightened population of Cornwall during August, meaning that the average should actually be lower.

The government is reporting that during the seven days leading up to August 23 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly recorded a total of 4,710 new positive test results, which was 2,215 more that during the preceding week - a rise of 88.8%.

The rate of new cases sits at 818.4 cases per 100,000 people in the most recent figures, compared to 434.2 cases last Saturday,

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When it comes to localised figures, just one single cluster in Cornwall is not shaded purple or dark purple - in other words with a rate lower than 400 cases per 100,000 people.

This is Callington & Pensilva, which recorded 31 cases in the seven days, leading to a rate of 371.3.

The only cluster to record a fall in seven-day figures was Mylor Bridge & Frogpool, which saw 36 new cases, down 13 on the previous week.

Newquay saw one of its clusters rise above an average rate of 2,000 cases per 100,000 people, the only one in Cornwall to do so.

Falmouth Packet:

Newquay East recorded 239 cases, up 113 on the previous week, giving an average rate of 2,398.2 cases per 100,000 people, although neighbouring cluster St Columb Minor & Porth came close with a rate of 1,934.9 after recording 170 cases, up 94.

Newquay West recorded 117 cases, up 38, with a rate 1,580.4, meaning Newquay's combined seven-day total came to 356 new positive test results in the space of a week.

Among the places seeing some of the largest rises were Penzance, with a combined 165 weekly cases across its three clusters, up from 72 a week earlier, and the Porthleven, Breage & Praa Sands cluster, which jumped from 18 cases to 58.

Illogan & Portreath went from 24 to 64, and Probus & Roseland from 32 to 82, while further up Cornwall Padstow & St Issey rose from 22 cases to 92 in seven days.

Falmouth Packet:

The map shows positive cases by 'Middle Super Output Area' - the name the government gives to the break-up of larger towns and groups of neighbouring towns and villages, with groupings covering a greater area than others.

The minimum population in each area is 5,000 and the average is 7,200.

Clusters are only shown when there are three or more new cases reported at any one time.

Anywhere with between zero and two cases shows white in order to "protect the privacy of individuals and prevent disclosure", the accompanying information states.

The full list of clusters now on the map is:

St Just & Land's End (31, up 23, rate 553.3)

West Penwith & St Buryan (36, up three, rate 541.7)

Penzance South & Newlyn (43, up 27, rate 725.2)

Penzance Quay (51, up 22, rate, 766.8)

Penzance North (71, up 44, rate 857.1)

Towednack, Lelant & Carbis Bay (36, up 16, rate 589.8)

St Ives & Halsetown (65, up nine, 934.4)

Hayle (84, up 19, rate 828.1)

Marazion, St Erth & Gwinear Gwithian (75, up 39, rate 779.5)

Porthleven, Breage & Praa Sands (58, up 40, rate 836.8)

Helston (93, up 45, rate 764.7)

Crowan, Wendron & Stithians (73, up 39, rate 863.0)

Ponsanooth, Mabe Burnthouse & Constantine (74, up 27, rate 643.8)

Falmouth West & South (58, up one, rate 707.7)

Falmouth East (52, up two, rate 742.9)

Falmouth North (58, up four, rate 738.8)

Penryn (79, up 42, rate 947.4)

Mylor Bridge & Frogpool (36, down 13, rate 583.1)

Camborne West (65, up 32, rate 932.6)

Camborne South (62, up 31, rate 843.5)

Pool & Illogan Highway (79, up 28, rate 910.9)

Redruth South (58. up 19, rate 717.7)

Redruth North (54, up 28, rate 727.7)

St Day & Lanner (33, up 21, rate 541.4)

Illogan & Portreath (64, up 40, rate 898.8)

St Agnes & Mount Hawke (73, up 28, rate 872.2)

Shortlanesend, Chacewater & Carnon Downs (79, up 48, rate 873.9)

873.9

Truro West (79, up 25, rate 753.0)

Truro South & Central (73, up 27, rate 1,130.0)

Truro East (76, up 33, rate 892.9)

Probus & Roseland (82, up 50, rate 1,023.8)

Mevagissey & Polgooth (69, up 43, rate 859.3)

Perranporth & Goonhavern (79, up 47, rate 1,330.6)

Grampound Road, St Newlyn East and Cubert (74, up 48, rate 1,077.6)

Newquay West (117, up 38, rate 1,580.4)

Newquay East (239, up 113, rate 2,398.2)

St Columb Minor & Porth (170, up 94, rate 1,934.9)

St Columb Major & St Mawgan (129, up 82, rate 1,1,28.4)

Trewoon, Coombe & Foxhole (61, up 41, rate 724.8)

St Austell North & Carclaze (48, up 12, rate 656.4)

St Austell Central (77, up 35, rate 758.8)

St Austell East & Carlyon Bay (90, up 33, rate 912.5)

Par (63, up 38, rate 886.1)

Tywardreath & Fowey (37, up six, rate 610.9)

Lanreath, Pelynt & Polraun (42, up 24, rate 534.8)

Looe & Polperro (53, up 43, rate 1,061.1)

St Germans & St Mellion (32, up 11, rate 475.8)

Kingsand, Antony & Maryfield (47, up 24, rate 743.1)

Torpoint (43, up 25, rate 824.7)

Saltash Town & Pillmere (53, up 14, rate 746.1)

Mid Saltash (52, up 28, rate 949.3)

Saltash Latchbrook & St Stephens (30, up ten, rate 537.8)

Dobwalls, Addington & Menheniot (45, up 20, rate 508.4)

Liskeard (24, up 15, rate 409.9)

Lostwithiel & Penwithick (78, up 50, rate 707.9)

Roche & Goss Moor (69, up 44, rate 874.2)

Padstow & St Issey (92, up 70, rate 1,292.9)

Trebetherick & Whitecross (51, up 28, rate 905.9)

Wadebridge (64, up 36, rate 901.4)

St Breward, Tredethy & Lanivet (42, up 16, rate 672.9)

Bodmin West (42, up 26, rate 525.1)

Bodmin East (42, up 26, rate 525.1)

St Neot & St Cleer (48, up 31, rate 726.7)

Callington & Pensilva (31, up nine, rate 371.3)

Gunnislake & Calstock (29, up 19, rate 449.2)

Altarnun & Stoke Climsland (49, up 24, rate 576.5)

Launceston (64, up 17, rate 586.2)

Crackington & Tintagel (51, up 23, rate 709.1)

Camelford & Tresmeer (59, up 22, rate 813.6)

Poundstock & Kilkhampton (38, up 11, rate 502.8)

Bude & Stratton (66, up 26, rate 618.7)