Coronavirus rates in Essex are “really worrying” but will begin to drop within three weeks “if everyone plays their part”, the county’s public health boss has declared.

Dr Mike Gogarty, director of public health at Essex County Council, also revealed one in 18 people now have the virus in Basildon.

That number increases to a startling one in five in Southend.

Dr Gogarty said the only way to drive the rates down across the county is to obey the Government rules and, in particular, he urged people to continue to work from home.

He also expected the situation in Basildon to be mirrored across the county “very soon”.

He said: “The most important thing now is that everyone works from home.

“With the schools off, this is our best chance in reducing the cases.

“Treat everyone as if they have the virus. Staying two metres apart is much better than one with a mask.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week that the UK’s tier restrictions would have worked before the new, more transmissible, strain was discovered.

Dr Gogarty says the county was “looking good” in Tier 2 of the Government’s system before the new strain of coronavirus appeared in the south East.

He said: “Supermarkets need to more to help us contain the spread. They need to bring back stricter measures like a one way system.

“I would say if people are getting too close to you in a supermarket, then just back away.

“We must do all we can.

“If residents abide by the rules, then we will see a decrease in three weeks time.”

He explained how cases among children are no longer the driving factor in Essex, with the virus now spreading to their parents.

He added: “It depends on the behaviour of the 20s, 30s, and 40s, as to how we get out of this lockdown, but I am confident the measures will work.”