NEW data shows Herefordshire's coronavirus infection rate has risen over the last seven days, but still remains low compared to other areas.

The statistics, released by the Government, show the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for each of the 315 local authorities in England.

The figures, for the seven days to August 3, are 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.

Data for the most recent three days (August 4-6) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

In Herefordshire, the rate has risen to 6.7 in the seven days to August 3, up from 5.7 in figures for the period to July 27.

But that is still lower than 16.1 in figures for the period to July 20.

Herefordshire had been fourth in the list and had fallen to 112th last week, but has now climbed to 101st.

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The high infection rate of 43.7 three weeks ago came after 83 new cases were found in the seven days to July 13, linked to an outbreak on AS Green and Co in Mathon, near Ledbury.

More than 140 cases have now been linked at the farm, which supplies vegetables to some of the UK's largest supermarkets.

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In Blackburn with Darwen, the rate has fallen from 88.8 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to July 27 to 82.2 in the seven days to August 3. A total of 123 new cases have been recorded.

Oldham is in second place, where the seven-day rate has jumped from 55.7 to 67.9, with 161 new cases.

Pendle is third, where the rate has risen from 46.7 to 58.6, with 54 new cases.

The rate in Leicester continues to fall, down from 62.4 to 52.2, with 185 new cases.

Here is the top 20 areas in the list.

From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; the rate of new cases in the seven days to August 3; the number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to August 3; the rate of new cases in the seven days to July 27; the number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to July 27.

  1. Blackburn with Darwen 82.2 (123), 88.8 (133)
  2. Oldham 67.9 (161), 55.7 (132)
  3. Pendle 58.6 (54), 46.7 (43)
  4. Leicester 52.2 (185), 62.4 (221)
  5. Bradford 48.5 (262), 48.2 (260)
  6. Swindon 47.7 (106), 30.6 (68)
  7. Calderdale 45.9 (97), 35.0 (74)
  8. Burnley 33.7 (30), 22.5 (20)
  9. Manchester 33.1 (183), 28.0 (155)
  10. Preston 32.8 (47), 20.3 (29)
  11. Rochdale 32.8 (73), 31.9 (71)
  12. Northampton 32.1 (72), 22.3 (50)
  13. Tameside 29.6 (67), 16.8 (38)
  14. Melton 29.3 (15), 35.2 (18)
  15. Salford 27.4 (71), 22.0 (57)
  16. Trafford 26.5 (63), 41.7 (99)
  17. Wellingborough 26.3 (21), 1.3 (1)
  18. Stockport 25.6 (75), 16.7 (49)
  19. Hyndburn 24.7 (20), 28.4 (23)
  20. Oadby and Wigston 24.6 (14), 21.0 (12)

Here's how Herefordshire compares with nearby areas:

101. Herefordshire 6.7 (13), 5.7 (11)

126. Shropshire 5.3 (17), 5.3 (17)

245. Worcester 2.0 (2), 6.9 (7)

262. Gloucester 1.5 (2), 0.8 (1)

288. Cheltenham 0.9 (1), 5.2 (6)

303. Malvern Hills 0.0 (0), 3.8 (3)

313. Forest of Dean 0.0 (0), 0.0 (0)