THE coronavirus infection rate in Southend has doubled in the last seven days, with 50 new cases confirmed. 

Every seven days, the Government publishes a rolling seven-day rate based on tests carried out in laboratories - pillar one of the Government’s testing programme - and in the wider community - pillar two.

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

The Southend rate is placed at 27.3, with 50 new cases confirmed in the last seven days, up from 12.6 last week, when 23 cases were confirmed.

The Basildon rate has also increased to 26.7 after 50 new cases were confirmed, set against 15.5 seven days ago, when 29 new cases had been confirmed.

Conversely, in Castle Point, the rate has been cut to 21.0, with 19 new cases confirmed, compared to 26.6 seven days ago when 24 cases had been confirmed.

In Rochford, the rate has risen to 16.0, with 14 new cases confirmed. That is up from 9.2 a week ago, when eight new cases had been confirmed.

For context, although areas such as Southend and Basildon have seen significant rises, the highest rate in England is in Knowsley with 422 new cases recorded in the seven days – the equivalent of 279.7 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 152.5 in the seven days to September 18.

Burnley has the second highest rate, up sharply from 157.4 to 269.9 with 240 new cases.

Liverpool is in third place, where the rate has jumped from 165.4 to 262.2 with 1,306 new cases.

Other areas recording sharp increases in their seven-day rates include:

– Newcastle upon Tyne (up from 111.6 to 238.1, with 721 new cases)

– Manchester (up from 140.7 to 207.3, with 1,146 new cases)

– Sunderland (up from 107.3 to 185.8, with 516 new cases)

– Birmingham (up from 96.2 to 145.1, with 1,657 new cases)