Latest figures show South Derbyshire started the month with highest Covid infection rate in England

South Derbyshire was showing the highest Covid infection rate in England the beginning of this month.

And the Gov.Uk figures up to March 3 showed Swadlincote as the centre of that infection rate.

South Derbyshire took over from North West Leiecstershire as England's top hot-spot.

The region's infection rate - as of a week ago - was 150 cases per 100,000 of the population.

The local area defined as Swadlincote Central has seen 18 cases in the most recent week (to March 3), followed by 17 in Swadlincote East; 14 in Swadlincote North; 14 in Castle Gresley, Overseal & Coton; and 13 in Swadlincote South.

Despite its position as one of the highest in England, the South Derbyshire's rate has fallen considerably from its January peak – just not as much as in other areas.

Its falling rate has now levelled off while others continue to plummet.

South Derbyshire's rate of infection has fallen the least in Derbyshire at 69.4 per cent, 20 per cent less than North East Derbyshire and Derby and 10 per cent less than its nearest rival – Erewash.

Since the January peak, the weekly number of Covid-19 cases in Derbyshire has fallen by 83 per cent, from a pandemic high of 5,161 to under 900.

North East Derbyshire is the area which has seen the largest drop in infections – down 89.8 per cent from its peak in early January.

It now has a rate of 39 cases per 100,000 in the week to March 4, down from 381.

This is below the national local area average (52), while the rest of Derbyshire remains above it.

Derby has seen Derbyshire's second-largest reduction in infection levels – down 88.9 per cent from its early January peak.

Its rate is now 87 per 100,000 people, down from a staggering 674.

Derby's infection rate is also substantially below its fellow East Midlands cities – a region which is home to many of the highest infection rates.

It recorded 161 new cases in the week to March 4, compared to 225 in Derby and 40 in North East Derbyshire.

South Derbyshire's infections centre around Swadlincote, the district's only major town.

This is the infection rate per 100,000 people for each area of Derbyshire in the week to March 4, followed by the corresponding number of new cases:

• Amber Valley: 62 cases per 100,000, 80 new cases

• Bolsover: 88, 71

• Chesterfield: 79, 83

• Derbyshire Dales: 55, 40

• Derby: 87, 225

• Erewash: 97, 112

• High Peak: 56, 52

• North East Derbyshire: 39, 40

• South Derbyshire: 150, 161

The national local area average is 52 cases per 100,000 people as of the week to March 4.

For comparison, in the same week, the case rate in Liverpool was 68 with 340 new cases; in Sheffield it was 83 with 487 cases; in Manchester it was 86 with 478 new cases; in Birmingham it was 93 with 1,064 new cases; in Stoke it was 101 with 258 new cases; in Nottingham it was 101 with 336 new cases; and in Leicester it was 145 new cases.