CORONAVIRUS cases are rising across south Essex once again.

Castle Point saw the biggest week-on-week rise as of March 8, with 428 new cases reported – an increase of 103 per cent.

Both Southend and Basildon are recording close to 800 new cases a week according to the latest figures, which Southend seeing a 37 per cent increase in the past seven days and Basildon 44 per cent.

Several neighbourhoods in south Essex have meanwhile seen cases double in the seven days to March 8.

They are:

Southend

  • Thorpe Bay - 46 new cases (up 119%)
  • Prittlewell – 43 new cases (up 104%)

Castle Point

  • Canvey Island Newlands – 30 new cases (up 114%)
  • Canvey Island South West – 41 new cases (up 115%)
  • Canvey Island North West – 34 new cases (up 240%)
  • South Benfleet – 54 new cases (up 390%)
  • Benfleet Appleton – 36 new cases (up 176%)
  • Thundersley Glen – 47 new cases (up 193%)
  • Hadleigh South – 40 new cases (up 100%)
  • Hadleigh North – 39 new cases (up 105%)

Rochford

  • Hockley and Hawkwell West – 76 new cases (up 117%)

Basildon

  • Wickford South – 50 new cases (up 127%)
  • Billericay Central and Sunnymede – 40 new cases (up 166%)
  • Billericay Tye Common – 33 new cases (up 153%)
  • Billericay Queen’s Park – 35 new cases (up 118%)
  • Felmore and Bowers Gifford – 49 new cases (up 145%)

It comes as the latest data shows there are 201 patients across Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals with coronavirus.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on March 8 was up from 150 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased by 81% in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 111.

Across England there were 9,176 people in hospital with Covid as of March 8, with 242 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has decreased by 20% in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has decreased by 37%.

The figures also show that 233 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in the week to March 6. This was up from 151 in the previous seven days.