ALMOST 880 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in Warrington in the space of a week.

The latest Public Health England data on the rolling seven-day rate of positive Covid-19 tests showed 878 new cases for the period leading up to October 23.

This represents 418.1 cases per 100,000 residents, which is the 36th highest rate of any local authority area in the country at present.

The figures are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

By comparison, in the seven days leading up to October 16 there were 696 new cases, representing 331.4 cases per 100,000 residents.

Blackburn with Darwen continues to have the highest rate in England, with 1,176 new cases recorded in the seven days to October 23 - the equivalent of 785.6 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 526.4 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to October 16.

Rossendale has the second highest rate, followed by Oldham.

Case rates continue to fall in Nottingham, Liverpool, Newcastle and Exeter.

The data from Public Health England for the most recent three days, October 24-27, has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.