The weekly Covid infection rate in Colchester is at the lowest it has been in more than six months. 

Figures for the seven days to April 10, show the rate is now 9.8 cases per 100,000 people with a total of 19 cases. 

April is the first time the rate has dipped below 10 since September when it was 6.7 cases per 100,000 people. 

The Gazette has taken a look back at data for the last seven months to see how the rate has changed. 

In the seven days to September 11 there were a total of 13 cases but by the same date in October this had risen to 117 cases and a rate of 60.1 cases per 100,000 people. 

During the same timeframe in November the case rate had reached 91.4 with 178 new cases. 

This rose again in December to 229 cases and a rate of 117.6 cases per 100,000 people. 

The third wave was seen clearly in January when the rate reached 659.5 cases per 100,000 people for the seven days to January 11. 

During that week there were 1,284 new cases confirmed. 

The national lockdown measures saw the rate dip in February when there were 197 new cases in the seven days to February 11. 

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This was a rate of 101.2 cases per 100,000 people. 

It fell further in March to a rate of 47.3 with 92 new cases. 

As of the seven days to April 10, the rate is now 9.8 cases per 100,000 people. 

Of the 315 local areas in England, 65 (21 per cent) have seen a rise in case rates in the same time period, 242 (77 per cent) have seen a fall and eight are unchanged.

Mansfield in Nottinghamshire continues to have the highest rate in England, with 108 new cases recorded in the seven days to April 10, the equivalent of 98.8 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up slightly from 97.0 per 100,000 in the seven days to April 3.

Bradford has the second highest rate, up slightly from 85.0 to 89.3, with 482 new cases.

Barnsley has the third highest rate, down from 103.7 to 89.1, with 220 new cases.

It comes as councils across Essex announced they had made it easier for people who have to self-isolate to get a £500 support payment if they need it.

Previously each local council set its own criteria and take-up was inconsistent. Now they have agreed common criteria and simplified the process.

Dr Mike Gogarty, Director of Public Health for Essex said “Thanks to everything the people of Essex have done Covid-19 case rates have gone from among the highest in England to about a third of the national average. But we can’t let down our guard. I urge people to get tested regularly, whether they have symptoms or not, and to self-isolate if they or someone they’re in contact with tests positive.

“If you carry on going out to work because you’re worried about losing money, you could be spreading the virus. These changes to the discretionary test and trace support scheme will help more people to self-isolate.”