THERE are four areas of south Essex which have Covid infection rates significantly above the average for England, with cases rising in each.

All four have infection rates above the average for England of 172.8 cases per 100,000 people and are seeing case numbers increase rapidly in recent days.

Here are the areas of south Essex where Covid rates are above the England average:

  • Hutton - 291.9 cases per 100,000 people
  • Billericay Tye Common - 278 cases per 100,000 people
  • Brentwood South & Warley - 258.1 cases per 100,000 people
  • Billericay Central & Sunnymede - 210.3 cases per 100,000 people

Average infection rates across south Essex continue to grow.

Basildon had the highest in the week to June 28, of 106.3 cases per 100,000 people.

There were 199 cases confirmed in the area during this week.

Rochford's was the second highest, at 98.4 cases per 100,000 people.

Southend's average rate in this week was 90.1 cases per 100,000 people, with 165 cases confirmed.

Castle Point's was at 62.5 cases per 100,000 people and Thurrock's was 59.7 cases per 100,000 people.

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The rise in Covid cases across the country is primarily being put down to the spread of the Delta variant.

More than 100 cases of the Delta Covid variant were identified in south Essex this week - but experts say there has been no significant rise in hospitalisations.

Basildon has seen the biggest rises in cases of the so-called Indian variant, with the total number of infections nearly doubling in a single week.

There have now been 87 cases in Basildon – up 42 from this time last week.

Southend has seen another 47 more cases of the variant recorded in the past seven days, taking the overall total to 135.

The smallest rise was in Castle Point, where the number of cases now stands at 35 – up 14 from last Friday.

Thurrock has meanwhile recorded another 24 infections linked to the variant, meaning its overall total stands at 94.

Read more here.