WILTSHIRE is continuing to see a drop in Covid cases, the latest figures have revealed.

The figures, for the seven days to January 21, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

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

Wiltshire has recorded 1,258 cases in the seven days to January 21, at a rate of 251.6 per 100,000 people.

This is down from 1,779 cases at a rate of 355.8 per 100,000 people in the seven days up to January 14.

The drop comes as other areas of the country, such as Bolsover and Bassetlaw, continue to see increases in the case rate.

Data for the most recent four days (January 22-25) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 27 (9%) have seen a rise in case rates in the latest figures, but an encouraging 287 (91%) have seen a fall and one is unchanged.

Knowsley in Merseyside continues to have the highest rate in England, with 1,358 new cases recorded in the seven days to January 21, the equivalent of 900.2 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down from 1,178.6 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to January 14.

Sandwell in the West Midlands has the second highest rate, down from 910.0 to 833.3, with 2,737 new cases.

Slough in Berkshire is in third place, down from 1,049.9 to 791.8, with 1,184 new cases.

The 10 areas with the biggest week-on-week rise in rates are:

1. Bolsover (up from 436.9 to 564.8)

2. Bassetlaw (252.9 to 361.0)

3. North Warwickshire (370.8 to 471.9)

4. Barnsley (214.3 to 275.9)

5. West Devon (143.4 to 195.4)

6. Bradford (261.8 to 311.2)

7. Boston (163.9 to 212.3)

8. Middlesbrough (449.7 to 488.0)

9. Wakefield (234.6 to 272.2)

10. Leicester (535.0 to 564.3)

Other local case rates:

From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to January 21; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to January 21; rate of new cases in the seven days to January 14; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to January 14.

Swindon, 255.2, (567), 347.9, (773)

Winchester, 250.7, (313), 291.5, (364)

New Forest, 276.5, (498), 349.3, (629)

Dorset, 293.8, (1112), 309.9, (1173)

East Devon, 126.5, (185), 231.7, (339)

Southampton, 418.6, (1057), 538.6, (1360)

Test Valley, 330.5, (417), 363.0, (458)