TWO LOCAL AREAS IN NATIONAL COVID TOP THREE

RATES IN CITY AND ONE DISTRICT DROP SLOWER THAN ELSEWHERE

LEICESTER and North West Leicestershire have the second and third highest infection rates in the country, according to the latest figures.

Public Health England data shows both have seen falls in the seven-day rate of Covid-19 but not at the pace of most other parts of the country.

Only Corby in Northamptonshire has a higher rate currently.

Leicester South MP and shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth warned the city was facing a “double whammy” of high infection but relatively low vaccination rates.

Mr Ashworth sought assurances from Health Secretary Matt Hancock the city would not be “left behind” again as restrictions are eased. Mr Hancock gave none.

Public health officials have said infections in workplaces in North West Leicestershire are playing a part in the continuingly high rate of infection there.

Many staff in distribution centres there are in low paid-work and it is feared they are not-self isolating when they become infected because they need to continue to earn.

Workers from the West Midlands, where rates are also high, travel to work in the distribution and warehousing centres there.

County council and district teams have visited all warehousing and distribution premises in recent weeks to assess compliance with restrictions and key workers in the area are being offered regular rapid tests to flush out cases without symptoms.

Oadby and Wigston is presently 12th in the infection list and is one of only 22 areas in England which saw infection rates go up in the latest set of figures, which relate to the week up to February 26.

The list was calculated by the PA news agency based on Public Health England data published on March 2 on the government’s coronavirus dashboard.