Data suggests that the number of coronavirus cases in our region is dropping, unlike other areas of England.

Infection rates in the East have reduced across the board in the past week.

In Suffolk the number of coronavirus cases reported in the week to September 15 was 51, compared to 81 in the previous week.

This meant the infection rate for Suffolk almost halved from 10.6 per 100,000 last week to just 6.7 this week.

It was a similar story in north Essex where 158 cases were reported compared to 174 last week.

There too the infection rate has dropped slightly from 11.6 to 10.6 per 100,000.

Norfolk saw 55 cases this week compared to 98 last week with infection rates down from 10.8 to just 6.1 per 100,000.

In terms of local authorities, nearly all districts in Suffolk and north Essex showed a drop in the number of cases per 100,000 compared to the previous week – bar Ipswich and Tendring.

According to the Government’s latest surveillance report, Suffolk is ranked 134th lowest out of 150 local authorities for its infection rate. Essex is ranked 126th, while Norfolk is 132nd.

The report includes infection rates calculated from September 7 and September 13, with data included up to September 15.

The latest R number for the whole of the East of England was revealed yesterday afternoon and currently stands at between 1.0 and 1.3.

In comparison the England average is between 1.2 and 1.4.

A number between 1.2 and 1.4 means that on average every 10 people infected will infect between 12 and 14 other people.

The R number for the East of England is the second lowest out of the seven NHS regions and its growth rate is the lowest in England.

It includes Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, all of which have reasonably low coronavirus infection rates compared to the rest of the country.

It means that the number of coronavirus infections in the east is growing at a slower rate than most areas of the country, and with lower case numbers, the spread is also likely to be slower in our communities.

The highest rates are seen in the North West and Midlands, which have an R number between 1.2 and 1.5, and the South West, which ranges from 0.9 to 1.6.