WILTSHIRE is finally seeing a drop in Covid cases, the latest figures have revealed.

The figures, for the seven days to January 17, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Wiltshire has recorded 1,591 cases in the seven days to January 17, at a rate of 318.2 per 100,000 people.

This is down from 1,851 cases at a rate of 370.2 per 100,000 people in the seven days up to January 10.

Data for the most recent four days (January 18-21) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

This comes as the coronavirus R number for the South West has decreased for the first time in weeks - yet remains the highest in the country.

The fresh data, which has been released by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) on Friday, January 22 rates the ability to spread Covid-19 and the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average.

The updated 'R rate' for the South West is now between 0.9 - 1.2, which is higher than the latest R number range for the UK of 0.8 - 1.0.

The R rate for the South West still remains the highest across the country, but remains joint highest with Midlands.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 31 (10 per cent) have seen a rise in case rates, 283 (90 per cent) have seen a fall and one is unchanged.

Knowsley in Merseyside continues to have the highest rate in England, with 1,612 new cases recorded in the seven days to January 17 – the equivalent of 1,068.5 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down from 1,367.5 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to January 10.

Slough in Berkshire has the second highest rate, down from 1,093.4 to 981.7, with 1,468 new cases.

Sandwell in the West Midlands is in third place, down from 951.1 to 920.4, with 3,023 new cases.

The 10 areas with the biggest week-on-week rise in rates are:

1. Erewash (up from 397.8 to 474.1)

2. Redditch (618.1 to 690.8)

3. Hinckley & Bosworth (320.0 to 367.7)

4. North Warwickshire (372.3 to 419.8)

5. Somerset West & Taunton (343.6 to 390.0)

6. North West Leicestershire (333.0 to 376.4)

7. Solihull (499.6 to 535.2)

8. Plymouth (298.7 to 326.2)

9. Ryedale (276.3 to 301.6)

10. Leicester (542.9 to 566.6)

Other local case rates:

From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to January 17; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to January 17; rate of new cases in the seven days to January 10; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to January 10.

Swindon, 315.0, (700), 452.3, (1005)

Winchester, 291.5, (364), 366.8, (458)

New Forest, 316.0, (569), 395.9, (713)

Dorset, 306.5, (1160), 321.3, (1216)

East Devon, 207.1, (303), 255.0, (373)

Southampton, 480.0, (1212), 603.5, (1524)

Test Valley, 326.6, (412), 439.9, (555)