North West Leicestershire's seven-day Covid infection rate is falling - but remains the second highest in the county.

The region was named as having the highest rate in the country last week - but the number of cases per 100,000 population is down to 124.5, according to the latest figures released at 4pm on Friday (March 12).

Leicester still has the highest rate in the county but even that is falling.

In fact, Leicester's seven-day infection rate has dropped below what it was when local lockdown started back in June for the first time in months.

The city is showing a rate of 134.9 cases per 100,000, the rate when local lockdown started was 135 and apart from a drop over the summer it has spent much of the time since higher than the number that prompted localised action.

It comes as just over 160 new Covid cases were confirmed across the city and county.

In total there were 162 new infections identified – 77 in Leicester and 85 spread across Leicestershire.

In Blaby there were 17 new cases confirmed, Charnwood added 20 and there were 11 in Harborough.

Hinckley and Bosworth's cumulative toll increased by seven and 22 new infections were identified in North West Leicestershire.

Oadby and Wigston added three cases to its rolling toll and there were five found in Melton.

The new cases mean that the total number of cases across the city and county since the start of the pandemic area by area are :

• Leicester: 34,732
• Blaby: 6,748
• Charnwood: 11,936
• Harborough: 4,922
• Hinckley and Bosworth: 5,816
• Melton: 2,499
• North West Leicestershire: 5,774
• Oadby and Wigston: 4,795

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

• Leicester: 134.9 cases per 100,000 (478 cases added in the last seven days)
• Blaby: 104.4 cases per 100,000 (106)
• Charnwood: 98.5 cases per 100,000 (183)
• Harborough: 70.4 cases per 100,000 (66)
• Hinckley and Bosworth: 70.7 cases per 100,000 (80)
• Melton: 43 cases per 100,000 (22)
• North West Leicestershire: 124.5 cases per 100,000 (129)
• Oadby and Wigston: 80.7 cases per 100,000 (46)