THERE are three areas of Colchester which have Covid infection rates signficantly above the average for England, with cases rising in each.

All three have infection rates above the average for England of 172.8 cases per 100,000 people and are seeing case numbers increase rapidly in recent days.

One area has an infection rate of almost 400 cases per 100,000 people.

In the week to June 27, Greenstead had the highest infection rate in the borough - of 390 cases per 100,000 people.

There were 53 cases of Covid recorded in this seven day period in the area, which is up 31 compared with a week earlier.

Abbey Field has the second highest infection rate in the borough, of 292.3 cases per 100,000 people.

There were 23 cases reported in this week, up 12 from a week earlier.

In third place was Central Colchester with an infection rate of 232.6 cases per 100,000 people.

The town centre area recorded 27 cases in this week.

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Colchester's average infection rate is way below these three areas and sits at 153.1 cases per 100,000 people.

There were 298 cases of Covid confirmed in the borough during the seven days to June 28.

The borough does, however, continue to have the highest infection rate of all areas in Essex.

For comparison, Tendring had an average infection rate of 55.9 cases per 100,000 people during this week.

Colchester's average infection rate is way above the average for Essex, which sits at 94 cases per 100,000 people.

The rise in Covid cases across the country is primarily being put down to the spread of the Delta variant.

Latest figures show more than 100 further cases of the Delta variant of coronavirus have been recorded in Colchester.

Public Health England figures show 198 cases of the Delta variant – first identified in India – had been recorded in Colchester by June 30.

The UK Health Security Agency is urging all those eligible to get a vaccine to break the chain of transmission.