England's top 10 coronavirus hotspots - including Rochdale, Blackburn and Bradford

23 July 2020, 10:06 | Updated: 23 July 2020, 10:18

By Polly Foreman

The areas with the most cases of coronavirus in England have been revealed.

Rochdale, Blackburn and Luton are among the areas with the highest cases of Covid-19 in the country, Public Health England figures have revealed.

It was recently revealed that Blackburn with Darwen, in Lancashire, had overtaken Leicester as the area with the highest infection rate.

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Figures have shown that the borough had 78.6 cases per 100,000 in the week prior to 17 July, and there are concerns that the area will be put under local lockdown.

Leicester - which became the first area in the UK to go into lockdown last month - had a rate of 72.6 per 100,000 in the same period.

According to data from Public Health England, these are the top 10 coronavirus hotspots in England (according to figures from 12 July - 18 July, as reported by Sky News).

The top 10 coronavirus hotspots in England

Blackburn with Darwen - 78.6 cases

Leicester - 72.6 cases

Rochdale - 46.8 cases

Bradford - 40.4 cases

Luton - 29 cases

Kirklees - 28.5 cases

Herefordshire - 23.9 cases

Rotherham - 22.7 cases

Sandwell - 22 cases

Calderdale - 20.9 cases

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Officials in Blackburn recently said they would go into lockdown as a 'last resort', with their director of public health Professor Dominic Harrison saying that he is 'reluctant' for it to happen.

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Cllr Mohammed Khan, from Blackburn with Darwen Council said, according to Lancashire Post: "We are in danger of a local lockdown if there continues to be an increase in cases. Nobody wants this. Please, I urge you to follow the guidelines to protect your families, friends and your community."

Leicester became the first area to be put under local lockdown on 29 June, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock saying at the time: "Having taken clinical advice on the actions necessary, and having discussed them with the local team in Leicester and Leicestershire, we've made some difficult but important decisions.

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