CORONAVIRUS infection rates have continued to drop across the county according to the latest figures - with some areas moving closer towards tier 1 territory.

Worcestershire's infection rate dropped to 109.9 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to November 29 - dropping by more than half on figures from two weeks ago.

The infection rate in Worcestershire was 165.3 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to November 12 - down further from 236.2 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to November 15.

Dr Kathryn Cobain, director for Public Health in Worcestershire, said on Wednesday (December 2) that the county was remaining focused on driving down the number of cases and pointed out that tier 1 areas across England had infection rates of around 50 cases per 100,000 people.

Whilst the county does have some time to go before it reaches an infection rate of 50 cases per 100,000 people, some parts of the county, which have seen rates continuously drop, are much closer to the rates seen in tier 1 areas.

Worcester's infection rate, which has been falling every day since November 12, was 73.1 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to November 29 - down from a huge 280 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to November 12.

If rates continue following a similar path, the city could fall below 50 cases per 100,000 people soon.

The latest Public Health England figures which show infection rates across Worcestershire in the week up to November 29 show the state of the county in the last few days of a four-week national lockdown.

Whilst increasingly slightly in the last few days of data available, Malvern's infection rate was 69.9 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to November 29.

Wychavon's infection rate was 79.6 cases per 100,000 people during the same week falling from 159.9 cases two weeks earlier and a rate of 112 cases in the previous week.

Worcestershire County Council said it was waiting to see whether the county would stay in tier 2 or drop to tier 1 when every region is next reviewed by the government on December 16 and nevertheless, whether rates are higher in the north or south of the county, Worcestershire will be judged as a whole.

Infection rates in the north of the county have, as they have been for a number of weeks, remained the highest among the districts.

Redditch's infection rate was 193.5 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to November 29 and has remained the county's highest.

Bromsgrove's infection rate was 127.2 cases per 100,000 people in the same week and despite dropping significantly in recent weeks, Wyre Forest's infection rate was 129.3 cases per 100,000 people - dropping from 285 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to November 12.