North West Leicestershire's seven day coronavirus infection rate has seen a significant drop according to the latest figures released this evening (Friday).

And the key numbers that will be crunched before a decision on whether the city and county stay in tier 3 or move down the system, also appear to be steadily falling.

The impact of the second national lockdown looks as though it is reflected in this week's figures.

Last week, North West Leicestershire had 278.9 cases per 100,000 people and a 259.7 among those over 60.

Seven days later, those figures are 148.6 and, of those over 60, 107.6, with 154 new cases.

There is also encouraging news from Leicester's hospitals with Covid positive patient numbers slowly returning to pre-second wave peak levels.

Leicester and Leicestershire's Tier 3 Covid-19 restrictions will next be reviewed on December 16, with key data being analysed before a decision is made on what happens next.

The number of cases, infection rates – in particular in the over-60s – hospital admissions and how the local NHS is coping will all be looked at to help ministers gain an insight into how the city and county are faring in their fight against the virus.

The current data used was the latest available on December 4.

These are the figures to keep your eye on over the coming days and weeks, as we enter and progress through Tier 3.

Whether they go up or down will help officials determine what follows Tier 3 for Leicester and Leicestershire.

Leicester

Seven-day infection rate: 275.5 cases per 100,000 people

Seven-day infection rate in over 60s: 203 cases per 100,000 people

Cases in the last 7 days: 976

Leicestershire

Seven-day infection rate: cases per 100,000 population

Seven-day infection rate in over 60s: 103 cases per 100,000 population

Cases in the last 7 days:

University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust

Real-time admission data is not publicly available, but an update on how things are on the city's hospital wards was given at a UHL trust board meeting yesterday.

Acting chief executive, Rebecca Brown, said that the number of Covid positive patients is starting to reduce thanks to the effect of the second national lockdown.

"Whilst the lockdown has been very successful to help bring down the second wave, we know it is just a firebreak," she warned.

At the height of the first wave, Covid patient numbers peaked at 205. During the past couple of weeks they have gone as high as 270. Numbers are now starting to return to lower levels.

She added: "We are starting to see us coming out of this wave, predominantly down to lockdown."

The trust's acting chief operating officer, Debra Mitchell said that a 'minimal' amount of pre-planned ops were postponed, with activity picking up next week in an attempt to clear some of the backlog.

Blaby

Cases in the last seven days: 204

Current seven-day infection rate: 200.9

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 120.4

Charnwood

Cases in the last seven days: 228

Current seven-day infection rate: 122.7

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 109.9

Harborough

Cases in the last seven days: 137

Current seven-day infection rate: 146

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 94.5

Hinckley and Bosworth

Cases in the last seven days: 107

Current seven-day infection rate: 94.6

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 40.7

Melton

Cases in the last seven days: 86

Current seven-day infection rate: 167.9

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 131.2

North West Leicestershire

Cases in the last seven days: 154

Current seven-day infection rate: 148.6

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 107.6

Oadby and Wigston

Cases in the last seven days: 166

Current seven-day infection rate: 291.2

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 160

What the same data looked like, this time last week:

Leicester

Seven-day infection rate: 378.9 cases per 100,000 people

Seven-day infection rate in over 60s: 358 cases per 100,000 people

Cases in the last 7 days: 1,342

Leicestershire

Seven-day infection rate: 209.1 cases per 100,000 population

Seven-day infection rate in over 60s: 190.9 cases per 100,000 population

Cases in the last 7 days: 1,909

Blaby

Cases in the last seven days: 350

Current seven-day infection rate: 344.7

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 203.1

Charnwood

Cases in the last seven days: 417

Current seven-day infection rate: 224.4

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 167.1

Harborough

Cases in the last seven days: 255

Current seven-day infection rate: 271.8

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 177.6

Hinckley and Bosworth

Cases in the last seven days: 243

Current seven-day infection rate: 214.8

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 137.8

Melton

Cases in the last seven days: 126

Current seven-day infection rate: 246.1

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 137.8

North West Leicestershire

Cases in the last seven days: 289

Current seven-day infection rate: 278.9

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 259.7

Oadby and Wigston

Cases in the last seven days: 401.6

Current seven-day infection rate: 229

Current seven-day infection rate in the over 60s: 300.7