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CORONAVIRUS

Infection rate dozens of times higher in northern hotspots

Masks are de rigueur for police officers in Leicester
Masks are de rigueur for police officers in Leicester
PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS

Northern councils were battling to avoid more local lockdowns last night as health bosses warned that they were finding rising numbers of coronavirus cases.

After Leicester’s lockdown was tightened on Tuesday Public Health England (PHE) said that mobile testing units had shown that Yorkshire appeared to be reporting more infections. Levels are also believed to be high in Greater Manchester, although officials played down fears of more local lockdowns.

Data on infection rates, published by the health agency yesterday, showed 140 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people in Leicester last week. By comparison 11 councils including City of London, Cornwall and Gloucestershire, had rates of less than one per 100,000.

Bradford had the second highest rate, about half that of Leicester, followed by Barnsley with