THIS is the number of new coronavirus cases recorded in Halton in the space of a week.

The latest Public Health England data on the rolling seven-day rate of positive Covid-19 tests showed 439 new cases for the period leading up to October 18.

This represents 339.2 cases per 100,000 residents, which is the 36th highest rate of any local authority area in the country at present.

The figures are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

By comparison, in the seven days leading up to October 11 there were 502 new cases, representing 387.9 cases per 100,000 residents.

The numbers continue to fall in the areas with the highest rates in England.

In Knowsley, 1,000 new cases were recorded in the seven days to October 18 - the equivalent of 662.9 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down from 700.6 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to October 11.

Nottingham has the second highest rate, but this is down sharply from 926.7 to 610.1, with 2,031 new cases.

Liverpool is in third place, where the rate has dropped from 681.1 to 582.5, with 2,901 new cases.

The data from Public Health England for the most recent three days, October 19-22, has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.