Coronavirus rates continue to rise across south Essex, with Southend seeing the biggest increase in the past week.

There have been 572 new cases of the virus recorded in Southend in the week ending September 7 – that’s 159 more than seven days before.

Basildon has recorded 479 Covid cases in the week ending September 7 and Thurrock 564.

Castle Point and Rochford recorded more than 200 cases in the same period, but their infection rates are largely similar to the other boroughs and districts due to their smaller populations.

Infections rates across south Essex range between 250 to 313 cases per 100,000 people, but there are some localised areas where those rates have soared above 400 in the past week and are among the highest in Essex.

They are:

Great Wakering and Foulness

38 new cases

Infection rate: 480.7

Chalkwell

45 new cases

Infection rate: 427.9

Thundersley Glen

35 new cases

Infection rate: 431.4

Orsett, Bulphan and Horndon on the Hill

32 new cases

Infection rate: 534.3

Corringham South

29 new cases

Infection rate 404.9

Stanford West

41 new cases

Infection rate: 482.2

Little Thurrock South

34 new cases

Infection rate: 445.5

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to outline his plans to combat coronavirus and rising infections this winter when he holds a press conference tomorrow.

The use of vaccine passports at nightclubs and large events has been ruled out for now by ministers, but Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey insists they could still be used at some point in the coming months.

She told Sky News: “When we had a variety of regulations we said we’d go back to Parliament every six months to see if those regulations were still necessary, but also some of the ideas that we wanted to consider, and are still part of the toolbox, like vaccine passports.

“Again we said we were considering bringing these items in but it’s important that we look at exactly what benefits that will bring, and right now the Health Secretary indicated – although we haven’t made a formal decision – that he does not think it is necessary for the vaccine passports to be introduced by the end of the month.

“But the Prime Minister will be setting out tomorrow a lot more of the detail of the road map ahead, preparing for winter.”