Barrow has been named as one of the 43 areas in England where Covid-19 rates are still rising.

Barrow has become Cumbria’s coronavirus hotspot after recording a 15 per cent week-on-week increase in infection rates – rising well above the national average.

The latest Public Health England data shows Barrow’s rate now stands at 173 cases per 100,000 people, which is currently the highest weekly infection rate in the county.

It comes after the area recorded a total of 116 new cases in the week ending February 17 – rising from 101 cases in the previous week.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 43 have seen a rise in case rates, 267 have seen a fall and five are unchanged.

Wards within Barrow also fall above the UK’s new national average of 121 per 100,000 people.

Walney Island South and Barrow Island has a weekly infection rate of 323, after 20 new cases were recorded in the week ending February 17.

Ormsgill and Hindpool has a rolling rate of 231.2 after 15 positive cases, followed by Parkside at 242.7.

Abbotsmead & Salthouse recorded 12 new cases in the week ending February 17, giving an infection rate of 160.

Walney Island North has an infection rate of 237.4 and Barrow Central has a rolling rate of 121.3 after eight new positive cases were recorded.

Roose has a rolling rate of 235.9 followed by Askam at 112.4 and Dalton which has a rolling rate of just 90.

Copeland, which until Saturday had the highest infection rate in the county, has fallen to second place at 155.5 after a 35 per cent drop in cases.

Allerdale’s infection rate has also dropped by 22 per cent but moves up to second place in the county with a rate of 145.3.

South Lakeland latest infection rates fall well below the national average, recording 79 positive cases per 100,000 people in the week up to February 17.

Across England, cases have been falling since lockdown began, but this has been levelling off in recent days with only a 10 per cent week-on-week decrease on Monday compared to a 30 per cent decrease earlier this month.