A SMARTPHONE app suggests there are thousands of active cases of coronavirus in Essex.

The Covid symptom study has put together data based on information given to it by millions of users across the world.

The app was set up in March to show how many people were displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Data is now being used to show how many people are thought to have symptomatic Covid in the UK.

In Essex, Thurrock is predicted to have the highest number of residents displaying coronavirus symptoms, with 2,817.

Basildon and Southend are the only other two areas in Essex thought to have more than 1,000 residents showing symptoms of the virus.

The least affected area in the county is thought to be Maldon, where only 157 are predicted to have the virus.

Thousands of people in each district in Essex have contributed to the study.

This is how many people are predicted to have Covid symptoms in each part of the county as of today (Monday, November 23):

Basildon - 1,404

Braintree - 743

Brentwood - 456

Castle Point - 884

Chelmsford - 674

Colchester - 650

Epping Forest - 557

Harlow - 598

Maldon - 157

Rochford - 701

Southend - 1,274

Tendring - 456

Thurrock - 2,817

Uttlesford - 308

In its weekly update last week, Essex County Council said 2,098 new cases of coronavirus had been recorded in the region in the seven days up to November 12.

The average rate of infection in that period across Essex was 140.9.

Nearly 250 people are receiving treatment for coronavirus in Essex hospitals - up 15 per cent from the week before.

This does not include data from Southend and Thurrock.