Parts of Suffolk and north Essex recorded as few as 11 cases of Covid-19 in a week as infection rates continued to fall in all but two local authorities.

Latest figures showed the number of new cases per 100,000 people fell in all but two areas – West Suffolk and Uttlesford – for the seven days to March 8.

Figures are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

Data for the most recent four days has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 39 (12%) have seen a rise in case rates, 271 (86%) have seen a fall and five (2%) are unchanged.

Derbyshire Dales has the highest rate in England, with 129 new cases recorded in the seven days to March 8 – the equivalent of 178.4 cases per 100,000 people – up from 62.2 per 100,000 in the seven days to March 1.

Maldon had the fewest cases (11) of any district of Suffolk and north Essex in in the seven days to March 8, followed by Babergh (19), Mid Suffolk (24) and Uttlesford (29), despite it being among the 39 local authorities to see a rise in the rate of infections.

The Government said a further 175 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Friday, bringing the UK total to 125,343.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 147,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.

The Government also said that, as of 9am on Friday, there had been a further 6,609 lab-confirmed cases in the UK.
It brings the total to 4,248,286.

Government data up to March 11 shows that of the 24,759,603 jabs given in the UK so far, 23,314,525 were first doses – a rise of 260,809 on the previous day. Some 1,445,078 were second doses, an increase of 93,563.