The latest data on coronavirus infection rates in the UK continue to show a steady decline in cases across the country and in southeast London.

Wednesday’s Public Health England update shows that a majority of areas in England have seen a fall in case rates, with 297 of 315 areas of England recording a drop (94 per cent).

The figures, for the seven days to January 23, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

They show the coronavirus infection rate, expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people:

Greenwich currently has the highest rate of infection – despite still recording a significant overall drop in cases since the previous week’s stats.

The Royal borough currently has an infection rate of 526.1 (1,515 new cases), compared to the previous rate of 717.2, (2,065 new cases).

Over in north Kent, Dartford comes in next with an infection rate of 502.6 (566 new cases), compare to last week’s recorded rate of 706, (795 new cases).

Lewisham recorded a rate of 450.9 in the latest stats, (1,379 new cases), compared to the previous rate of 659.5, (2,017 new cases).

Greenwich currently has the highest infection rate in southeast London

Greenwich currently has the highest infection rate in southeast London

Bexley, which had previously sparked alerts after its infection rate was consistently among the highest in the country for more than a month, seems to have recorded a significant and sustained reduction.

Its infection rate currently stands at 440.6, (1,094 new cases), compared to the previous 643.2, (1,597 new cases).

Southwark comes in after Bexley with the infection rate currently measured at 409.3, (1,305 new cases), compared to 646.1 (2,060 new cases) previously.

Bromley currently appears to have the lowest rate, 392.1, (1,303 new cases), after last week’s figure of 529.3, (1,759 new cases).

On a national level - Knowsley in Merseyside continues to have the highest rate in England, with 1,241 new cases recorded in the seven days to January 23, the equivalent of 822.6 cases per 100,000 people.

This is down from 1,102.3 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to January 16.

Sandwell in the West Midlands has the second highest rate, down from 930.4 to 781.5, with 2,567 new cases.

Slough in Berkshire is in third place, down from 1,022.5 to 714.9, with 1,069 new cases.