Latest Public Health England data reveals Manchester’s infection rate is falling, but Rossendale, Blackpool, Oldham, Salford and Wigan are among the areas to see increases

Knowsley has overtaken Nottingham as the area with the highest coronavirus infection rate in England, latest data shows.

Liverpool, one of the first areas to be put into Tier 3 by the government, has seen a week-on-week fall in new cases, as has Manchester – which unceremoniously had new restrictions forced on it yesterday.

Figures from Public Health England reveal worrying increases in other parts of Greater Manchester, however, with Salford, Oldham and Bolton seeing sharp increases.

Rossendale, in Lancashire, saw its infection rate rise from 334.3 per 100,000 to 514.8 in just seven days, propelling it into fifth place. The full list is shown below.

Also experiencing worrying rises were Rochdale, Wigan, Blackpool, Barnsley, Bury, Ribble Valley and Preston.