Alarming data reveals the infection rate has skyrocketed in Blackburn and Rossendale, catapulting them above Liverpool and Nottingham according to latest Public Health England figures
A week ago neither Blackburn nor Rossendale were in the country’s 10 worst affected areas, but a spike in cases now sees them in second and third place respectively – behind only Knowsley in Merseyside.
Tier 3 Blackburn saw its rate climb from 466.3 cases per 100,000 from 634.6 after 950 people tested positive for the virus in a week.
And Rossendale, which is also subject to the toughest restrictions, went from a rate of 362.3 to 607.1, the alarming data shows.
Parts of Greater Manchester also showed worrying rises, despite having been subject to local lockdown restrictions since August.
Torridge in Devon has the lowest infection rate, figures from Public Health England show.