Worrying new data has identified six new coronavirus hotspots in the UK - including areas in Essex and Scotland. Figures from the COVID Symptom Study app suggest Halton in Cheshire is now the worst-affected place - overtaking Blackburn as the number one hotspot.
After analysing data, experts believe that Dumfries and Galloway, Thurrock, St Helens, Middlesbrough, Blackpool and Lancashire have emerged as areas of concern.
All six have been added to the app's watchlist, which also includes Tameside, Halton, Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen. In Halton, one in 300 people are thought to have symptomatic coronavirus.
St Helens has a rate of 0.25%, while third-placed Blackpool has 0.23%, nearly one in 400 people. It is estimated that there are