Coronavirus infections are now falling across all boroughs and districts in south Essex. 

The UK has seen the number of new daily cases halve in the past week, with around 23,500 new infections recorded yesterday. 

Both Southend and Basildon were recording 1,000 new cases a week just six days ago, but both have seen that now drop down to three figures. 

Castle Point has also seen its infections plummet, having seen one of the biggest rises in infections in England last week. 

Here are the latest figures for each part of south Essex and how they compare to this time last week:

*Infection rates are based on number of cases per 100,000 people

Basildon

Number of new cases in week ending July 23 - 824

Latest infection rate - 440.2

Number of new cases in week ending July 16 - 949

Infection rate seven days ago - 506.9

Castle Point

Number of new cases in week ending July 23 - 411

Latest infection rate - 454.8

Number of new cases in week ending July 16 - 647

Infection rate seven days ago - 715.9

Rochford

Number of new cases in week ending July 23 - 385

Latest infection rate - 440.7

Number of new cases in week ending July 16 - 499

Infection rate seven days ago - 571.1

Southend

Number of new cases in week ending July 23 - 810

Latest infection rate - 442.3

Number of new cases in week ending July 16 - 1,013

Infection rate seven days ago - 553.2

Thurrock

Number of new cases in week ending July 23 - 617

Latest infection rate - 353.9

Number of new cases in week ending July 16 - 642

Infection rate seven days ago - 370.5

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Boris Johnson has stressed the need for caution despite recent falls in the number of coronavirus cases as he warned that the virus “still presents a significant risk”.

But recent data which showed a drop in cases was “encouraging”, the Prime Minister has said.

The comments come after a senior minister told the Daily Mail that Covid is “all over bar the shouting”.

But Mike Tildesley, who sits on the scientific advisory body Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), said that it was not yet clear whether the third wave was turning around.

A recent fall in infections could be attributable to people being less willing to “step up” and get tested ahead of their summer holidays, Dr Tildesley, professor of infectious disease modelling at the University of Warwick, said.

Meanwhile testing among school pupils in England will have reduced since the end of term last week, he added.

Official figures on Tuesday showed the number of Covid-19 cases newly reported in the UK dropped for the seventh day in a row.

Asked about the prospect of looking back on the pandemic in October, the Prime Minister told LBC Radio: “We’ve seen some encouraging recent data, there’s no question about that, but it is far, far too early to draw any general conclusions.”

He added: “The most important thing is for people to recognise that the current situation still calls for a lot of caution and for people just to remember that the virus is still out there, that a lot of people have got it, it still presents a significant risk.”