City is now down to the 24th-highest in Covid table

LEICESTER’S coronavirus infection rates are now 24th highest in the country as mass testing in the city continues, writes Dan Martin.

Figures show the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 in the city - up to August 29 - stand at 25.1 cases per 100,000, with 89 new cases in the week.

This is a fall from 46.3 cases per 100,000 the week before, when 164 people tested positive in the city.

The Press Association has compiled its latest weekly table of infection rates in local authority areas based on government statistics.

The city had been at the top of it - or in the higher positions - since a local outbreak of the virus was identified in June, but infection rates have been falling here since, under local lockdown restrictions, while other areas have overtaken it as cases rise elsewhere.

However, the rate in the city remains above the national average.

Public health bosses in Leicester have urged people to stick to the existing restrictions on social gatherings in homes and gardens as they say household transmission is the way the virus has been most commonly spreading.

The government, which has already relaxed local lockdown restrictions in areas with higher infection rates than Leicester, will review the city’s position next by September 11.

The new leader in the national Covid19 league table is Pendle, in Lancashire, where 66 new cases were recorded in the seven days to August 29 – the equivalent of 71.7 per 100,000 people. This is the highest rate in England, and it is up slightly from 68.4 in the seven days to August 22.

The rate in Bolton has jumped from 18.4 to 59.1, with 170 new cases.

Corby, in neighbouring Northamptonshire, is third as the rate has increased from 22.2 to 56.8 with 41 new cases.

The list has been calculated by the PA news agency and is based on Public Health England data published on September 1.

Data for August 30, 31 and September 1 has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

The top 30 areas in the UK are listed on the right.

From left to right, the league table reads with the name of local authority and, in Column A, the rate of new cases in the seven days to August 29; Column B shows the number of new cases recorded in the seven days to August 29.

Columns C and D then repeat the same information, but for the previous week, ie the seven days up to August 22.