WARRINGTON’s rate of new coronavirus cases is continuing to fall according to the latest data from Public Health England.

In the week before July 30, the most recent period for which statistics are available, a total of 688 positive Covid-19 tests were returned in the town.

This equates to 327.6 infections for every 100,000 residents, the 56th highest rate in the country.

By comparison, in the seven days leading up to July 23 there were 976 new cases reported in the borough.

Warrington was one of 296 local authority areas in England which saw a drop in transmissions between these two dates, while 18 experienced a rise and one was unchanged.

Lincoln currently has the highest case rate nationally, with 717 per 100,000.

Blackpool is the north west’s top hotspot at present with 490.5 per 100,000, featuring at sixth in the overall list.

As of yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, Warrington Hospital had 21 coronavirus patients – including four in intensive care.

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Covid-19 death toll currently stands at 510.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 2,118 inpatients have been discharged from the Lovely Lane site after receiving treatment for the virus.