Castle Point has seen one of the biggest rises in coronavirus rates in England in the past week.

The latest data shows the borough’s infection rate has skyrocketed to 713.7 cases per 100,000 people.

That’s up from 257.8 this time last week and means it is the fifth biggest rise in the country.

There were 645 new cases recorded in Castle Point in the week ending July 16 – up from 233 the week before.

By contrast, Castle Point had recorded just 34 new Covid cases nearly a month ago in the week ending June 24.

Benfleet is now the worst affected area, not just in the borough but across the whole of the county.

In Benfleet North, there were 78 new cases recorded, while there was a further 72 in Benfleet Appleton.

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Infection rates there are around 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.

Here’s how many cases were recorded in each part of Castle Point in the past week, according to the coronavirus hotspots map:

  • Benfleet North - 78
  • Benfleet Appleton - 72
  • South Benfleet – 59
  • Canvey Island Leigh Beck - 54
  • Canvey Island South West - 51
  • Thundersley Glen – 49
  • Canvey Island North West – 43
  • Canvey Island Winter Gardens - 40
  • New Thundersley - 37
  • Hadleigh North - 34
  • Hadleigh South – 33
  • Canvey Island Newlands - 31

Of the 315 local areas in England, 311 (99%) have seen a week-on-week rise in rates and four (1%) have seen a fall.

Thurrock has the lowest rate of infection in south Essex right now with 324.7 cases recorded per 100,000 people.

The rate in Southend is 497.5, in Basildon it is 454.6 and in Rochford 529.9.