Covid cases are still rising in 35 areas of England as the number of daily deaths plunged to their lowest level for five months.

A further 104 people died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus as of Monday – the lowest daily figure since October 26 – while there were another 5,455 lab-confirmed cases in the UK.

Infections are tumbling across the country but more than one in ten (11%) areas in England have seen a rise in case rates.

The most dramatic week-on-week rise was recorded in Worthing in West Sussex.

South Holland and East Lindsey in Lincolnshire, Hyndburn in Lancashire, and Richmondshire in North Yorkshire made up the rest of the top five areas with surging rates.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 35 have seen a rise in cases, 278 (88%) have seen a fall and two are unchanged.

Corby in Northamptonshire continues to have the highest infection rate in England, with the equivalent of 264.5 cases per 100,000 people.

However, the number of new cases in Corby is down on the week before.

Leicester has the second highest Covid rate, while Fenland in Cambridgeshire is in third place.

The 40 areas of England with the highest Covid rates

List reads from left to right: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to February 25; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to February 25; rate of new cases in the seven days to February 18; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to February 18.

Corby, 264.5, (191), 330.9, (239)

Leicester, 217.1, (769), 254.9, (903)

Fenland, 214.0, (218), 197.3, (201)

Peterborough, 208.6, (422), 270.9, (548)

South Holland, 203.1, (193), 171.5, (163)

Mansfield, 196.7, (215), 233.3, (255)

Sandwell, 195.2, (641), 265.2, (871)

Preston, 193.5, (277), 236.8, (339)

North West Leicestershire, 192.1, (199), 224.9, (233)

Bury, 190.1, (363), 219.9, (420)

Boston, 186.7, (131), 175.3, (123)

Redditch, 186.5, (159), 226.4, (193)

Bradford, 184.9, (998), 205.5, (1109)

Bolton, 184.3, (530), 230.2, (662)

Ashfield, 183.7, (235), 253.3, (324)

North Warwickshire, 182.3, (119), 229.8, (150)

Tamworth, 179.9, (138), 237.3, (182)

Oadby and Wigston, 177.1, (101), 171.9, (98)

Rotherham, 175.2, (465), 185.0, (491)

Luton, 173.2, (369), 223.9, (477)

Gedling, 169.6, (200), 188.3, (222)

Rochdale, 169.5, (377), 171.3, (381)

St Helens, 168.9, (305), 240.3, (434)

Nottingham, 168.8, (562), 198.0, (659)

Tameside, 168.7, (382), 197.8, (448)

Erewash, 167.3, (193), 202.0, (233)

Barnsley, 166.9, (412), 175.0, (432)

Hyndburn, 162.9, (132), 139.4, (113)

Bassetlaw, 162.6, (191), 189.0, (222)

Stockport, 162.6, (477), 176.2, (517)

Kirklees, 162.4, (714), 180.3, (793)

East Staffordshire, 162.0, (194), 223.0, (267)

Middlesbrough, 161.7, (228), 286.6, (404)

Hartlepool, 161.2, (151), 186.8, (175)

Blackburn with Darwen, 161.0, (241), 179.7, (269)

Telford and Wrekin, 160.7, (289), 185.2, (333)

Bolsover, 158.9, (128), 182.5, (147)

Hull, 157.8, (410), 146.7, (381)

Derby, 156.2, (402), 178.0, (458)

South Ribble, 156.2, (173), 164.3, (182)

The latest infection rates comes as the decision to delay second doses of Covid vaccines in an effort to jab more older people was credited with saving a ‘large number’ of lives.

The results from a Public Health England (PHE) study indicated the Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines are highly effective in reducing infections.

Protection against developing symptomatic Covid-19 in the over-70s ranged between 57% and 61% for one dose of Pfizer and between 60% and 73% for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, the study found.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the ‘exciting new data’ as ‘extremely good news’.

He said the results may go some way to explaining why the number of Covid admissions to intensive care units among people aged over 80 in the UK have dropped to single figures in recent weeks.

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