More than 2,700 new cases of coronavirus were recorded across the whole of Essex over the weekend.

The number of cases in the Essex County Council area increased by 2,201, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 99,704 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Monday (January 25) in Essex, up from 97,503 the same time on Friday.

In Southend, cases rose by 298 across Saturday and Sunday, meaning the total number of infections in the borough since the pandemic began has hit 13,058.

The remaining 265 Covid cases were recorded in Thurrock, taking its overall total to 16,054.

Public Health England is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.

Tendring continues to have the highest infection rate in Essex, while Uttlesford has the lowest.

Here is the latest infection rate for each area of the county followed by the number of new Covid cases recorded in the seven day ending January 21:

  • Tendring, 663.2, (972)
  • Harlow, 620.2, (540)
  • Castle Point, 551.0, (498)
  • Thurrock, 511.1, (891)
  • Southend-on-Sea, 506.2, (927)
  • Braintree, 486.2, (742)
  • Colchester, 478.7, (932)
  • Basildon, 457.8, (857)
  • Epping Forest, 429.8, (566)
  • Chelmsford, 396.9, (708)
  • Maldon, 391.2, (254)
  • Rochford, 357.1, (312)
  • Uttlesford, 311.1, (284)

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