Covid: Ipswich has highest rise in virus cases in England

Ipswich has the fourth-highest number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in England

Ipswich has reported the highest rise in Covid case rates in England, according to official figures.

The rate in Suffolk's county town jumped by 46% in the week to 10 October to 749.4 cases per 100,000 people - and was the fourth highest rate for a district in England.

That compared to a rate of 514.0 cases per 100,000 in the week to 3 October.

Public Health Suffolk has said it was taking the rise in cases "seriously" and urged people to be vigilant.

The case rate for England as a whole was 383.3 in the week to 10 October - up from 333.9 for the previous week.

Over the same two-week period, the number of people in Ipswich with new cases of Covid rose from 699 to 1,019.

• Town's Covid cases increase by 40% in a week

• Extra Covid measures brought in at schools

• Over 50% of county cases in those aged up to 19

Earlier this week, Suffolk's interim deputy director of public health Martin Seymour urged people to continue with thorough handwashing, social distancing and wearing masks in crowded places, as well as reiterating the message about getting vaccinated.

"Although the restrictions are much reduced now, we should take those precautions and try to contain the spread of the virus," he said.

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