The rate of coronavirus infection has fallen slightly in Suffolk – with the west of the county recording the most positive cases.
Public Health England figures out on Wednesday reveal 70 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the county during the seven days to Sunday, September 13.
That is equivalent to 9.1 cases per 100,000 people, and remains among the lowest in the country.
The numbers are slightly down from 72 cases the previous week, and an infection rate of 9.4 cases per 100,000 people.
With 587 new cases and an infection rate of 204.1 per 100,000 people, Bolton is currently the worst-hit area of England.
MORE: Is your child well enough to go to school - and when do they need a coronavirus test?More than 40% of the latest weekly cases were in West Suffolk, which recorded 30 positive tests in that time frame, with a rate of 16.7 cases per 100,000 people.
That is compared with 28 cases and a rate of 15.6 the previous week.
On September 8, the district hit 20 infections per 100,000 people.
MORE: ‘Tripling’ of NHS staff needing coronavirus tests sparks delays as schools returnStuart Keeble, Suffolk’s public health director, said the increase in West Suffolk is partly down to the nine positive cases identified in teaching staff at Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill. His team has also identified “ongoing household transmission” from those cases.
Some of the other cases identified in the district have been linked to care home staff, he said, and all homes affected are being supported to manage these cases.
Mr Keeble said: “While we recognise that cases in Suffolk are increasing, particularly in the west, case numbers do still remain low compared to England. However, the changing picture means we cannot be complacent about this.”
He added that all cases identified in the county are regularly reviewed by the team so they can act to address any patterns of transmission and identify particular areas where cases are increasing.
This will help them to track and trace contacts of those who have come into contact with infected people.
MORE: Coronavirus testing chaos branded ‘entirely unacceptable’ amid fears it may last for weeksInfections in East Suffolk are also rising, with 21 cases recorded in the week to September 13, compared with 16 the previous week.
This puts the area’s infection rate at 8.4 positive cases per 100,000 people, up from 6.4.
The majority of cases across the county have been identified in people of working age or older people, compared with previous weeks from mid to late August, where younger people accounted for more than a quarter of all positive cases in Suffolk.
Ipswich recorded 10 positive cases, the same as the previous week, while Mid Suffolk had seven, also the same as the week before.
Babergh’s infection rate remained low at two positive cases per 100,000 people, with two weekly cases identified.
Mr Keeble said there has been a noticeable spike in demand for tests in recent weeks, which has seen scores of people in Suffolk and nationwide unable to book a slot or being told to travel hundreds of miles.
MORE: How difficult is it to book a coronavirus test?In early September, the number of people visiting the county’s mobile testing units went up by 31% compared with the end of August.
In north Essex, the number of positive cases and infection rates have remained low. The highest number of infections was identified in Colchester, with 12 cases and an infection rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people, but this was down from 13 positive tests the previous week.
Tendring recorded just two cases while Braintree had six.
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