THE coronavirus infection rate in Blackburn with Darwen - England's worst affected place - has exceeded 800 cases per 100,000 people for the first time.

This comes as NHS England have confirmed that East Lancashire hospitals are treating 23 Covid-19 patients on mechanical ventilators - the third highest in the country after University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust and Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust are both have 30 patients on ventilators. 

In the latest rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 figures Blackburn with Darwen continues to have the highest rate in England, with 1,203 new cases recorded in the seven days to October 25 – the equivalent of 803.6 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 576.5 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to October 18.

The total number of cases reported since the start of the pandemic in the borough now stands as 6,153.

Rossendale is the fourth worst affected place with an infection rate of 665.9 up from 537.2, with 476 new cases, taking the total number of cases to 2,075.

Hyndburn, Ribble Valley and Pendle also remain in the top 20 for highest infection rates.

Oldham has the second highest rate, up from 469.0 to 693.3, with 1,644 new cases.

Wigan is in third place, where the rate has risen from 460.4 to 683.4, with 2,246 new cases.

Other areas recording big jumps in case rates include Charnwood (up from 284.1 to 491.3, with 913 new cases); Doncaster (up from 351.1 to 547.3, with 1,707 new cases); and South Staffordshire (up from 197.4 to 388.7, with 437 new cases).

There were 8,595 patients with coronavirus in hospital beds across England on Tuesday October 27, according to new data from NHS England.

The list has been calculated by the PA news agency and is based on Public Health England data published on October 29 on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

Here is the top 20 places. From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to October 25; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to October 25; rate of new cases in the seven days to October 18; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to October 18.

Blackburn with Darwen 803.6 (1203), 576.5 (863)

Oldham 693.3 (1644), 469.0 (1112)

Wigan 683.4 (2246), 460.4 (1513)

Rossendale 665.9 (476), 537.2 (384)

Salford 610.8 (1581), 495.3 (1282)

Rochdale 600.2 (1335), 509.4 (1133)

Bolton 565.1 (1625), 442.4 (1272)

Knowsley 553.5 (835), 664.2 (1002)

Doncaster 547.3 (1707), 351.1 (1095)

Bury 540.9 (1033), 430.9 (823)

Hyndburn 529.3 (429), 383.7 (311)

Tameside 528.5 (1197), 371.3 (841)

Barnsley 525.8 (1298), 457.3 (1129)

Rotherham 512.4 (1360), 386.6 (1026)

Manchester 503.9 (2786), 439.2 (2428)

Preston 503.7 (721), 394.7 (565)

Pendle 499.4 (460), 419.1 (386)

Bradford 499.1 (2694), 395.7 (2136)

Charnwood 491.3 (913), 284.1 (528)

Ribble Valley 481.2 (293), 427.0 (260)