Nine out of 10 of England's towns and cities have seen coronavirus infection rates rise in a week, alarming new data shows. As the government faces calls to put more of the country into Tier 4 to tackle a mutant strain causing cases to soar, Essex remains the country's worst hotspot.
Worst-hit Brentwood now has 1,442.5 cases per 100,000 people, up from 886.8 a week earlier, while Epping Forest and Thurrock make up the top 3.
Of the 315 local areas in England, 282 have seen a rise in case rates and 33 have seen a fall, Public Health England figures reveal.
Other areas which have seen steep jumps include Castle Point, Hertsmere and Harlow. In the past seven days, 248,199 people have tested positive for coronavirus - a 30 per cent week-on-week