MORE than 200 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Colchester within the space of a week, new official figures have shown.

The coronavirus infection rate in Colchester is now 103.7 cases per 100,000 people with 202 new cases confirmed over the space of seven days.

The figures, for the seven days to October 20, are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

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

Over the same period, Tendring has recorded 156 cases, a rate of 106.4 cases per 100,000 people.

Braintree’s rate is 60.9, after 93 cases were reported through the week, and Maldon’s rate is 63.1, with 41 cases reported.

Throughout the pandemic, Colchester has now recorded 1,413 cases of coronavirus, a rate of 725.7 cases per 100,000 people.

Details of the worst affected areas in Colchester can also be seen on a map produced by the Government.

The map highlights coronavirus hotspots across the county by colour coding them according to the infection rate.

The map displays weekly data from March when the pandemic began.

The latest data is for the week leading up to October 20.

It shows the rate of infection in each area and where positive cases have been confirmed in recent days.

It is based on both pillar 1 and pillar 2 testing data from Public Health England.

Areas are then colour coded based on the infection rate.

Across the borough, central Colchester had the most new cases confirmed over this time period with 34.

Abbey Field was next with 25 and third was Mile End & Braiswick which had 22.

Here is all the reported cases in Colchester between October 13 and October 20 by area:

  • Parson’s Heath, 19
  • New Town & Hythe, 14
  • Monkwick, 12
  • Greenstead, 8
  • Old Heath & Rowhedge, 8
  • Layer-de-la-Haye, Abberton & Mersea East, 8
  • Highwoods, 8
  • Wivenhoe & University, 7
  • Horkesley Heath, Langham & Dedham, 7
  • Marks Tey, Wakes Colne, 6
  • Tiptree, 5
  • Lexden, 4
  • West Bergholt & Wormingford, 4
  • Prettygate & Westlands, 3
  • Stanway, 3
  • Shrub End, 3

No further deaths of patients who had tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at the trust which runs Colchester Hospital.

Figures released by NHS England on Monday afternoon show there have been 365 deaths of Covid-19 patients at the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

In total, there has also been four deaths at Clacton Hospital, 26 at the Fryatt Hospital, in Harwich, and 202 at the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust.

No new deaths were reported at hospitals in Essex on Monday, however a total of 91 patients passed away in hospitals across the country.

Essex has seen its Covid contact tracing success rate fall for a second week, new figures reveal.

Data from the Department for Health and Social care shows 4,014 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Essex were transferred to the Test and Trace service between May 28 and October 14.

Contact tracers ask these patients to give details for anyone they were in close contact with in the 48 hours before their symptoms started.

This led to 8,905 close contacts being identified over the period.

But just 65.4 per cent were reached.

The Government’s chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance said it was clear there was room for improvement.

He said: “It’s undoubtedly the case that test, trace and isolation becomes much more difficult to have an impact once numbers are high, it’s much more effective when numbers are low.”