Southend has seen another week-on-week drop in coronavirus cases.

The latest figures shows there were 1,332 new infections in the borough in the seven days ending January 9.

That was 346 cases (20 per cent) on the week before.

The promising picture is mirrored in most neighbourhoods, with all but two seeing a fall in Covid cases in the past week.

Here is how many cases were recorded in the week ending January 19, and the week-on-week difference.

Great Wakering and Foulness - 33

Down 18 (35%)

Shoebury – 97

Down 60 (38%)

West Shoebury – 76

Down 14 (15.6%)

Thorpe Bay – 54

Down 16 (23%)

Southchurch – 80

Down 30 (27%)

St Lukes – 104

Down 17 (14%) 

Kursaal – 87

Down 61 (41%)

Southend Central – 118

Up 15 (14%)

Victoria – 117

Down 5 (4%)

Chalkwell – 60

Down 45 (43%)

Westborough – 82

Down 29 (26%)

Prittlewell – 77

Down 4 (5%)

Blenheim Park – 76

Down 24 (24%)

Eastwood – 66

Down 10 (13%)

Eastwood Park – 63

Down 15 (19%)

Belfairs - 35

Down 28 (44%)

Leigh – 60

Down 6 (9%)

West Leigh – 80

Up 3 (4%)

It comes as one in 20 pupils in England were absent because of coronavirus last week, with the number of pupils off school with a confirmed case doubling in a fortnight.

The Department for Education (DfE) estimates that 5.1% of all pupils were off school because of Covid on January 20, up from 3.9% on January 6 – a record high for this school year, with 415,300 pupils absent in total.

This was up from approximately 315,000 children, or 3.9%, on January 6, just after pupils returned from the Christmas break.

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An estimated 321,800 pupils were off with a confirmed case of coronavirus on January 20. That’s double the 159,000 off a fortnight ago on January 6 and almost triple the 110,900 off on 16 December.

A record number of teachers and school leaders were absent on January 20, with nine percent not in school, up from 8.6% on January 6, the latest data also shows.

In total, 4.5% were absent for Covid-related reasons, down from 4.9% on January 6.