COLCHESTER'S coronavirus infection rate has dropped by more than a quarter in the space of a week, with rates dropping across all of north and mid Essex.

The infection rate in the borough now sits at 631.7 cases per 100,000 people.

This is after 1,230 cases were confirmed in the seven days to January 13.

The borough's infection rate has dropped from 883.4 cases per 100,000 people in the previous seven day period, a decrease of about 28 per cent.

Infection rates are falling in most parts of the country.

Of the 315 local areas in England, just 36, or 11 per cent, have seen a rise in case rates while 279, or 89, per cent, have seen a fall.

Last week Tendring had the ninth highest infection rate in England, but the district has now fallen to 13th.

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The infection rate in Tendring is now 919.8 cases per 100,000 people, down from 1176.3 a week before.

There were 1,348 cases of Covid-19 in the district between January 6 and January 13.

The infection rate in Braintree has also dropped dramatically to 662.5 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down from 1007.2 a week earlier, a drop of more than 30 per cent.

Maldon's infection rate is 559.1 cases per 100,000 people, down from 888.7 cases per 100,000 people a week earlier.

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The infection rate in Chelmsford is now 682.2 cases per 100,000 people, down from 951.3 cases per 100,000 people a week before.

Here are the infection rates for north and mid Essex in order:

  • Tendring - 919.8 (1,348) down from 1,176.3 (1,724)
  • Chelmsford - 682.2 (1,217) down from 951.3 (1,697)
  • Braintree - 662.5 (1,011) down from 1007.2 (1,537)
  • Colchester - 631.7 (1,230) down from 883.4 (1,720)
  • Maldon - 559.1 (363) down from 888.7 (577)

*Number of cases in a week inside brackets.

Knowsley in Merseyside has the highest rate in England, with 1,853 new cases recorded in the seven days to January 13 – the equivalent of 1,228.3 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down slightly from 1,266.1 in the seven days to January 6.

Barking and Dagenham in London has the second highest rate, down from 1,578.2 to 1,096.3, with 2,334 new cases.

Newham in London is in third place, down from 1,416.7 to 1,043.2, with 3,684 new cases.