NEW data shows Herefordshire's coronavirus infection rate remains amongst the highest in England, but has fallen in recent days.

The statistics, released by the Government, show the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for each of the 315 local authorities in England.

The figures, for the seven days to July 20, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

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The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent three days (July 21-23) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

In Herefordshire, the rate has fallen to 16.1 in the seven days to July 20, down from 43.7 in figures for the period to July 13.

The high infection rate of 43.7 a week ago came after 83 new cases were found in the seven days to July 13, linked to an outbreak on AS Green and Co in Mathon, near Ledbury.

Some 120 cases have now been confirmed at the farm, which supplies vegetables to some of the UK's largest supermarkets.

READ MORE: Farm outbreak latest

Officials say the risk to the wider public remains low.

Here is the list in full, showing the rate of new cases in the seven days to July 20, followed by the equivalent figure for the previous seven days to July 13:

  1. Blackburn with Darwen 81.9 49.7
  2. Leicester 65.6 102.5
  3. Oadby and Wigston 59.6 38.6
  4. Rochdale 49.1 30.9
  5. Hyndburn 44.5 6.2
  6. Bradford 43.0 36.3
  7. Eden 34.0 7.6
  8. Pendle 27.4 65.6
  9. Kirklees 26.7 27.4
  10. Sandwell 26.3 12.2
  11. Northampton 25.8 21.8
  12. Luton 24.8 31.8
  13. Carlisle 22.1 15.7
  14. Oldham 22.1 14.4
  15. Eastbourne 21.3 21.3
  16. Peterborough 19.9 31.3
  17. Corby 19.8 11.3
  18. Calderdale 19.0 23.3
  19. Wakefield 18.3 20.0
  20. Rotherham 17.8 22.3
  21. Hackney and City of London 17.3 7.6
  22. Braintree 17.2 23.8
  23. Gravesham 16.9 13.2
  24. Barnsley 16.3 9.8
  25. Herefordshire 16.1 43.7

How Herefordshire compares to its near neighbours:

102. Worcester 4.9 2.9

189. Cheltenham 2.6 2.6

200. Forest of Dean 2.3 1.2

256. Gloucester 1.5 1.5

287. Shropshire 0.9 3.4

312. Malvern Hills 0.0 3.8

Public Health England figures show that 866 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (July 23) in Herefordshire, in line with the same time on Wednesday.