These are the 15 areas in England with the worst coronavirus infection rates right now

Blackburn with Darwen currently has the highest coronavirus infection rates in England (Photo: Shutterstock)Blackburn with Darwen currently has the highest coronavirus infection rates in England (Photo: Shutterstock)
Blackburn with Darwen currently has the highest coronavirus infection rates in England (Photo: Shutterstock)

The towns and cities with the current highest rates of coronavirus infections have been named by Public Health England (PHE).

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The updated list is based on figures from the seven days to 26 July, and on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

Which areas have the highest infections?

Blackburn with Darwen has topped the list for the highest rate of coronavirus infections in England, with the rate rising from 81.2 cases per 100,000 people to 87.3. A total of 130 new cases have been recorded in the area.

Oldham in Greater Manchester, which has recently seen tough restrictions reintroduced after a spike in cases, has drawn level with Leicester, with both areas broadly recording the same rate.

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Oldham has seen its rate rise from 18.7 to 56.4, with 133 new cases, while the rate in Leicester has fallen slightly from 73.2 to 56.3, with 200 new cases.

A local lockdown was imposed in Leicester in June after a surge in infections and strict measures still remain in place.

Elsewhere, Trafford, Manchester, Sandwell and Swindon all showed noticeable week-on-week increases, with a significant number of new cases recorded.

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Here are the 15 areas of England that currently have the highest coronavirus infection rates, based on the latest PHE figures. The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people, and is compared with the rate from the previous seven days from 19 July.

  • Blackburn with Darwen - 87.3 (up from 81.2)
  • Oldham - 56.4 (up from 18.7)
  • Leicester - 56.3 (down from 73.2)
  • Bradford - 47.3 (up from 42.6)
  • Trafford - 38.1 (up from 11.0)
  • Rochdale - 35.0 (down from 47.7)
  • Sandwell - 32.4 (up from 23.2)
  • Hyndburn - 32.2 (down from 39.6)
  • Pendle - 31.7 (up from 30.6)
  • Eden - 30.3 (down from 32.1)
  • Calderdale - 29.0 (up from 23.3)
  • Melton - 27.4 (up from 7.8)
  • Manchester - 23.2 (up from 14.2)
  • Northampton - 21.3 (down from 28.0)
  • Swindon - 21.2 (up from 8.1)