NEW figures show the spread of coronavirus across south Essex appears to be slowing, with just Southend recording a week on week rise. 

The figures, for the seven days to October 29, are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent four days (October 30 to November 2) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

In Basildon, the rolling rate has dropped from 145.8 seven days ago, to 136.8 after 256 cases were confirmed. That is a drop from 273 cases in the week prior. 

In Thurrock, too, the rate dropped for the first time in weeks. The current rate there is 150.9, with 263 confirmed cases in the last seven days. 

That is a drop from a rate of 156.6 a week ago, when 273 cases were confirmed. 

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Castle Point has recorded a significant drop in rate, from 151.6 to 68.6. That's after 62 new cases were confirmed in the last seven days, compared to 137 in the previous seven days.

In Rochford, the rate dropped from 79.0 to 76.7, with 67 new cases confirmed in the last week - a drop from 69 the week before. 

In Southend, the rate increased - but only slightly - from 85.7 to 87.4, with 160 new cases in the last seven days. Some 157 cases were confirmed in the previous week.

Blackburn with Darwen continues to have the highest rate in England, with 1,086 new cases recorded in the seven days to October 29 – the equivalent of 725.5 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down slightly from 768.9 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to October 22.

Oldham has the second highest rate, up from 634.7 to 696.7, with 1,652 new cases.

Wigan is in third place, where the rate has risen from 612.8 to 667.3, with 2,193 new cases.

Other areas recording big jumps in case rates include:

  • South Staffordshire (up from 289.9 to 446.5, with 502 new cases);
  • Tamworth (up from 185.1 to 340.3, with 261 new cases); and
  • Hull (up from 249.4 to 369.9, with 961 new cases).