THE impact that the third Covid lockdown has had on the region's infections has been laid bare - as more areas record little or no new cases.

Latest maps comparing the current situation with that from the middle of the lockdown shows how the Covid infection rate has fallen across the North-East and North Yorkshire.

Whole swathes of area across our region have been classed as 'virus suppressed,' as they have now recorded fewer than three new Covid cases.

It comes as Covid cases rates in some areas in the region have recently recorded a rise in the number of new infections, but rates are still a lot lower than during the lockdown.

We've put together a series of before and afters showing the picture in County Durham, Darlington, Teesside and North Yorkshire.

How the colours work

White - fewer than three cases 'virus suppressed'

Yellow - up to nine cases per 100,000 people

Light green - between ten and 49 cases per 100,000

Dark green - between 50 and 99 cases per 100,000

Light blue - between 100 and 199 cases per 100,000

Dark blue - between 200 and 399 cases per 100,000

The maps, which all compare the rates in the week leading to March 6 (left), with the week leading to May 1, (right) shows how cases have fallen.

Here's how the picture has changed in each part of the North-East and North Yorkshire:

Slide the white bar along to reveal the before and after in your area

Due to formatting, white spaces may appear between each sliding map depending on your device 

County Durham

In County Durham, new cases have fallen by more than half with 149 new cases in the past week, compared with 410 new cases in the week to March 6.

The infection rate has now dropped from 77.3 cases per 100,000 population to 28.1 cases per 100,000 over the same time period.

Darlington

In Darlington, although cases have increased by 3.2 per cent in the past week, the area has seen a large fall in the number of cases.

In the week to May 1, there were 32 positive tests compared to 106 in the week leading to March 6.

The covid infection rate is currently stands at 30.0 per 100,000 people, a large reduction from 99.2 per 100,000.

Teesside

On Teesside, all areas have also recorded big drops over the past eight weeks.

Like previously, Hartlepool has gone from having case numbers at 106 drop to 19, with the infection rate falling from 113.2 to 20.3 per 100,000 people.

Middlesbrough has seen 36 new cases in the past week with a current infection rate of 25.5 per 100,000 - there were 151 cases in the week to March 6. 

Redcar and Cleveland recorded 16 new Covid cases in the past week and now has an infection rate of 24.8 per 100,000 - it previously had an infection rate of 75.3.

Also seeing a decline, Stockton recorded 49 cases in the past week with an infection rate of 24.8 - the rate in the area in March was 101.9 per 100,000 with 200 cases.

North Yorkshire

Across the county as a whole, the number of cases in the week leading to May 1, stood at 164, a decrease from 242, in the seven days to March 6.

Case numbers across the county have been generally lower than the rest of the region, so any rise in the past week is still lower than the rest of our area.

But Covid infection rates have actually increased from 39.2 in March to 44.5 per 100,000 in the past week.

To view the maps - click here