Covid infection rates continue to rise across Lancashire as only two areas buck the trend

Only two areas are bucking the trend.

The Public Health England data, for the seven days to October 15, is based on tests carried out in labs and in the wider community, with the rate expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Although the rates in Lancashire, which was placed under Tier 3 restrictions at the weekend, are still mainly rising, the numbers are falling in the areas with the highest rates in England: Nottingham, Knowsley, and Liverpool.

Case rates have also fallen in the cities of Newcastle, Exeter, Sheffield, Manchester, and Leeds.

Areas recording big jumps include Blackburn with Darwen, where the rate rocketed from 382.1 to 513.7, with 769 new cases, and Rossendale, where the rate rose from 316.2 to 472.8, with 338 new cases.

Burnley saw a fall, from 545.4 to 536.4, with 477 new cases, as did Hyndburn, from 351.7 to 335.6, with 272 new cases.

Blackpool also noted a significant rise, from a comparatively low 240.2 to 323.4, with 451 new cases.

The rate in Preston rose from 359.8 to 387.7, with 555 new cases, while Wigan's rate went up to 436.9 from 378.8, with 1,436 new cases.

There were 192 new cases in Fylde, where the rate increased from 193.1 to 237.7, and 278 in Wyre, where it went up from 196.3 to 248.

South Ribble's rate rose from 266.3 to 317.7, with 352 new cases.

And Chorley's went up to 259.7 from 240.2, with 307 new cases.

In Pendle, the rate shot up from 406 to 450.5, with 415 new cases.

While in West Lancashire, the rate increased slightly from 445.3 to 447.9, with 512 new cases.