BARROW has been named in the top ten areas with the biggest weekly rise in Covid-19 rates.

Data from Public Health England revealed that Barrow is tenth in areas across England which has seen the biggest increase in coronavirus rates.

The figures, for the seven days to January 10, 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.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 113 (36 per cent) have seen a rise in case rates, 200 (63 per cent) have seen a fall and two are unchanged.

Barrow has the tenth weekly highest rate in England, up from 447.4 to 581.7 cases per 100,000 people - with 390 new cases recorded in the town in the seven days to January 10.

Barking and Dagenham in London continues to have the highest rate in England, with 3,013 new cases recorded in the seven days to January 10 – the equivalent of 1,415.2 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down from 1,615.3 in the seven days to January 3.

Knowsley in Merseyside has the second highest rate, up from 928.0 to 1,363.5, with 2,057 new cases.

Newham in London is in third place, down very slightly from 1,400.6 to 1,320.7, with 4,664 new cases.