FIVE of East Lancashire's boroughs are now sitting in the top 20 areas with the highest coronavirus infection rates in England.

Blackburn with Darwen, which remains fourth on the list, has seen an increase in its infection rate, but it is Rossendale, which is fifth on the list that has seen the biggest rise, with their infection rate jumping from 324.6 to 535.8 after 383 cases were recorded in the seven days to October 18.

Burnley has dropped to eighth on the list while the Ribble Valley has jumped from 20th place to 18th, with Pendle now occupying the lowest spot in the top 20.

The new rolling seven-day rates of infection figures released on Thursday, show that Blackburn with Darwen is still sitting behind Knowsley, Nottingham and Liverpool, whose infection rates, despite being higher than Blackburn's, continue to fall.

The rolling seven-day rate of new Covid-19 cases detail figures for the seven days to October 18, and are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and tests in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data from October 19 to October 22 has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

Rossendale's rate of infection has jumped from 324.6 to 535.8 in the seven days to October 18, and Blackburn with Darwen's rate has increased from 446.2 to 575.8.

In a twist of events though, Burnley's infection rate has dropped again, from 607.3 cases per 100,00 people to 482.5 cases per 100,000 people, as has Pendle's.

The list is based on Public Health England data published on October 22 on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

The top 20 list, from left to right, reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to October 16; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to October 16; rate of new cases in the seven days to October 9; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to October 9.

Knowsley 662.9 (1000), 700.6 (1057)

Nottingham 610.1 (2031), 926.7 (3085)

Liverpool 582.5 (2901), 681.1 (3392)

Blackburn with Darwen 575.8 (862), 446.2 (668)

Rossendale 535.8 (383), 324.6 (232)

Rochdale 503.6 (1120), 429.8 (956)

Salford 493.8 (1278), 390.2 (1010)

Burnley 482.5 (429), 607.3 (540)

Oldham 467.3 (1108), 382.5 (907)

Wigan 459.7 (1511), 407.7 (1340)

Barnsley 454.5 (1122), 279.9 (691)

West Lancashire 451.4 (516), 466.3 (533)

Bolton 441.3 (1269), 335.2 (964)

Sefton 437.8 (1210), 477.2 (1319)

Manchester 437.2 (2417), 474.3 (2622)

St. Helens 436.4 (788), 444.1 (802)

Bury 430.9 (823), 390.6 (746)

Ribble Valley 427.0 (260), 297.3 (181)

Blackpool 420.2 (586), 288.3 (402)

Pendle 419.1 (386), 473.3 (436)

Case rates have continued to decrease in Knowsley, Nottingham and Liverpool, as well as Newcastle, Exeter, Sheffield, Manchester and Oxford.