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These are the 30 areas of England where COVID infection rates are decreasing

People wearing face masks walk past temporarily-closed stores on Oxford Street in London, England, on December 21, 2020. London spent its second day of what could be months under newly-introduced 'Tier 4' coronavirus restrictions today. Under Tier 4 rules non-essential shops and many other businesses including gyms and hairdressers must close, with people instructed to stay at home other than for exempted circumstances including travel to work or education. Indoor mixing between those in different households is also banned under the new tier, upending Christmas plans for a huge swathe of the population. Concern over a more infectious strain of the coronavirus in the UK has meanwhile seen dozens of countries ban arrivals from Britain, with food supplies also disrupted after France closed the cross-Channel freight route from Dover. (Photo by David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
London was moved into Tier 4 restrictions at the weekend. (Getty)

There are 30 areas of England where weekly coronavirus infection rates are decreasing, figures have revealed.

However, of the 315 local areas in England, 284 - or 90% - have seen a rise in COVID-19 case rates. The rate in one area – Sunderland – has remained unchanged.

The figures were calculated by the PA news agency based on Public Health England data published on Monday on the government’s coronavirus dashboard.

They show that infection rates fell in 30 areas in the seven days to 17 December compared to the previous week.

The same figures revealed there are five areas where the infection rate is more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.

COVID-19 restrictions in England. (PA)
COVID-19 restrictions in England. (PA)

These are Thurrock in Essex, which has the highest rate in the country – with 2,055 new cases recorded in the seven days to 17 December – the equivalent of 1,178.7 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up steeply from 435.9 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to 10 December.

Havering in London has the second highest rate, up from 547.1 to 1,123.5 per 100,000, with 2,916 new cases.

Watch: UK reports highest daily increase in COVID cases

Epping Forest and Basildon in Essex and Medway in Kent are the other areas with more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.

All of these areas are in Tier 4 restrictions, announced by prime minister Boris Johnson at the weekend, following the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus that is spreading faster than previous versions.

Read more

The Tier 4 COVID lockdown rules explained
The Tier 3 COVID lockdown rules explained
The Tier 2 COVID lockdown rules explained

More than 40 countries have banned UK flights and travel as a result of the new variant.

The 30 areas of England where coronavirus case rates have decreased:

From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; its tier of COVID-19 restrictions; rate of new cases in the seven days to 17 December; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to 17 December 17; rate of new cases in the seven days to 10 December 10; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to 10 December.

1 Barrow-in-Furness, Tier 2, 85.0, (57), 140.2, (94)

2 High Peak, Tier 3, 98.2, (91), 147.8, (137)

3 Bromsgrove, Tier 2, 171.2, (171), 224.3, (224)

4 Rutland, Tier 2, 105.2, (42), 135.2, (54)

5 Melton, Tier 3, 177.7, (91), 224.6, (115)

6 North Kesteven, Tier 3, 191.6, (224), 230.9, (270)

7 East Lindsey, Tier 3, 154.5, (219), 184.2, (261)

8 Lincoln, Tier 3, 408.9, (406), 482.4, (479)

9 Stafford, Tier 3, 220.7, (303), 252.8, (347)

10 Fylde, Tier 3, 94.1, (76), 107.7, (87)

11 South Derbyshire, Tier 3, 220.0, (236), 249.9, (268)

12 Calderdale, Tier 3, 146.6, (310), 165.0, (349)

13 North East Lincolnshire, Tier 3, 104.7, (167), 116.6, (186)

14 Wakefield, Tier 3, 145.0, (505), 160.2, (558)

15 Bury, Tier 3, 190.6, (364), 209.4, (400)

16 Darlington, Tier 3, 178.8, (191), 195.7, (209)

17 North Warwickshire, Tier 3, 150.2, (98), 163.9, (107)

18 Bradford, Tier 3, 159.7, (862), 174.0, (939)

19 Wigan, Tier 3, 162.2, (533), 176.5, (580)

20 Kirklees, Tier 3, 153.5, (675), 162.8, (716)

21 Copeland, Tier 2, 24.9, (17), 26.4, (18)

22 South Ribble, Tier 3, 179.6, (199), 188.6, (209)

23 Boston, Tier 3, 406.1, (285), 426.1, (299)

24 Blackpool, Tier 3, 156.3, (218), 163.5, (228)

25 Chorley, Tier 3, 207.2, (245), 215.7, (255)

26 Redcar and Cleveland, Tier 3, 140.0, (192), 145.1, (199)

27 Manchester, Tier 3, 173.1, (957), 179.4, (992)

28 Erewash, Tier 3, 119.6, (138), 122.2, (141)

29 West Lancashire, Tier 3, 154.0, (176), 156.6, (179)

30 Blaby, Tier 3, 217.7, (221), 219.6, (223)

Watch: How worried should we be about new COVID strain?