Coronavirus infection rates have continued to fall in all districts across Suffolk and north Essex — reaching their lowest level in Suffolk since the beginning of December.

According to the latest Public Health England statistics, the coronavirus infection rate in Suffolk was 126.6 cases per 100,000 in the week leading up to February 5.

The last time the infection rate in the county was this low was in the seven days before December 9 2020 when it was 123.9.

The statistics shows there were 964 new positive Covid-19 cases in the week leading up to February 5.

The latest data compares the seven days to February 5 with the seven days to January 29.

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

In Suffolk, the infection rate has dropped most sharply in Ipswich where it has gone from 303.8 per 100,000 people to 178.9.

The lowest levels in the county are found in the Babergh and mid Suffolk districts.

In north Essex the coronavirus case rates remain higher on average.

The biggest fall was seen in Tendring where the case rate dropped from 386.9 to 249.7 per 100,000 people.

Nationally, only seven of the 315 districts have seen a rise in their case rate.

Rutland in the East Midlands has the highest rate in England, with 207 new cases recorded in the seven days to February 5 – the equivalent of 518.4 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 170.3 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to January 29, and has been linked to an outbreak at a prison in the county.

Corby in Northamptonshire has the second highest rate, down from 501.3 to 432.0, with 312 new cases.

Walsall in the West Midlands is in third place, down from 466.6 to 431.6, with 1,232 new cases.