The coronavirus infection rate continues to drop across south Essex as the area looks to put the pandemic behind it. 

Each day, the Government publishes a rolling seven-day rate based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Last night, the Southend rate was placed at 1.6, down significantly from 9.9 seven days earlier. 

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The Basildon rate is 3.8, set against 5.9 seven days ago while in Castle Point, the rate has been maintained at 5.6. 

The news comes as just one more confirmed cases of coronavirus was recorded in Southend over the last 24 hours. 

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Public Health England figures show that 702 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Tuesday, up from 701 the same time on Monday.

Across Essex, six more cases were recorded, taking the county council area - which excludes Southend and Thurrock - to a total of 5,641

At the top of the national list is Blackburn with Darwen, where the rate is broadly unchanged, at 79.2 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to July 25, compared with 79.9 in the seven days to July 18. A total of 118 new cases have been recorded.

Second on the list is Leicester, where the rate continues to fall and is now down from 75.2 to 56.0, with 199 new cases.

In third place is Oldham, where the rate has jumped from 14.9 to 53.9, with 127 new cases.