THE parts of south Essex which have seen the fewest number of Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began have been revealed.

Just four areas have each seen fewer than 600 infections over the entire pandemic.

Echo analysis of Public Health England data has found only one area in south Essex had seen 400 or fewer cases in the 12 months - the equivalent of just one confirmed case per day. 

Most recent figures, published on Thursday, shows the picture in every single neighbourhood between April 2020 and April 2021.

The data is broken down by individual neighbourhoods, what are officially known as Middle Super Output Area, areas with an average population of 7,200.

These are the areas with fewer than 600 cases:

  • Hadleigh North - 373
  • Billericay North East - 495
  • Billericay Queen's Park - 547 
  • Hadleigh South - 574
  • Wickford North East - 570 

Southend now has the lowest infection rate across south Essex at 10.4 cases per 100,000 people. 

In the seven days to April 18 there were 19 new cases. 

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Basildon is second with a rate of 10.7 cases per 100,000 people, Thurrock has a rate of 10.9 and Castle Point a rate of 14.4. 

Of the 315 local areas in England, 109 (35%) have seen a rise in rates, 196 (62%) have seen a fall and 10 are unchanged.

Doncaster continues to have the highest rate, with 234 new cases in the seven days to April 18 – the equivalent of 75.0 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down from 88.8 in the seven days to April 11.

Luton has the second highest rate, down from 94.8 to 68.5, with 146 new cases.

Slough has the third highest, down from 71.6 to 63.5, with 95 new cases.