The day after Ashby was highlighted as a Covid 'hotspot', North West Leicestershire returned the second highest infection seven-day rate in the county.

While the figures are down massively from their January highs of more than 400 cases per 100,000 people in the district, the rates are second only to Leicester in the county of Leicestershire.

The latest figures show the region's infection rate is now 132.2 cases per 100,000 - with 137 cases recorded over the past week.

Yesterday (Tuesday), Ashby was singled out as being 'an area for concern' where 'rates are creeping up'.

Leicestershire health officials are also concerned about infection rates in areas surrounding Coalville and have some residents to have a lateral flow test at the Swannington testing centre.

But the number of new Covid cases confirmed in Leicester today (Wednesday) has remained low, with county cases outnumbering them.

In total, there were 164 new infections identified – 56 in Leicester and 108 spread across Leicestershire.

Broken down to district and borough level, Blaby added 13, Charnwood added 31 and there were seven cases confirmed in Harborough.

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Hinckley and Bosworth added 23 new cases to its overall toll while North West Leicestershire's cumulative total increased by 16.

Oadby and Wigston added seven cases and there were eleven confirmed in Melton.

The new cases, updated today (Wednesday) at 4pm, mean that the total number of cases across the city and county since the start of the pandemic area by area are :

• Leicester: 34,579
• Blaby: 6,716
• Charnwood: 11,872
• Harborough: 4,900
• Hinckley and Bosworth: 5,792
• Melton: 2,480
• North West Leicestershire: 5,730
• Oadby and Wigston: 4,785

The latest seven-day infection rates, area by area, are:

• Leicester: 139.5 cases per 100,000 (494 cases in the past seven days)
• Blaby: 102.4 cases per 100,000 (104)
• Charnwood: 99.5 cases per 100,000 (185)
• Harborough: 73.6 cases per 100,000 (69)
• Hinckley and Bosworth: 73.6 cases per 100,000 (69)
• Melton: 44.9 cases per 100,000 (23)
• North West Leicestershire: 132.2 cases per 100,000 (137)
• Oadby and Wigston: 94.7cases per 100,000 (54)