Coronavirus infection rates have continued to fall across all districts in Suffolk and north Essex, according to the latest figures.

According to statistics released by Public Health England, 1,982 new positive Covid-19 cases were recorded in Suffolk in the week up to January 24 — compared to 2,941 in the week leading up to January 17 and over 4,000 before the third lockdown was imposed.

The latest statistics compare the seven days to January 24 with the seven days to January 17.

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

The stats are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

In Suffolk, cases have fallen most sharply in Babergh, east Suffolk and Ipswich.

In mid and west Suffolk cases continued to fall but by a smaller amount.

Case rates also fell in all districts of Essex, including in Tendring where cases fell from 839.9 per 100,000 people in the week before January 17 to 547.9 per 100,000 in the week before January 24.

Nationally on 4% of the 315 local authority areas have seen a rise in case rates. All other areas have seen a fall apart from one district which has remained the same.

Knowsley in Merseyside continues to have the highest rate in England, with 1,171 new cases recorded in the seven days to January 24 – the equivalent of 776.2 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down from 1,067.2 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to January 17.

Sandwell in the West Midlands has the second highest rate, down from 923.7 to 704.2, with 2,313 new cases.

Slough in Berkshire is in third place, down from 986.4 to 671.4, with 1,004 new cases.