BLACKBURN with Darwen's coronavirus infection rate has spiked as 145 new cases were recorded in a week.

It comes as coronavirus cases in the UK have risen to the highest level since mid-May.

A total of 3,539 new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Friday in the UK, the Department of Health said.

Figures in the seven days to September 8 show cases have risen by 62 from the week before in Blackburn with Darwen, equivalent to 96.9 new cases per 100,000 people ­— up from 55.4 in the previous seven days.

The figures place it fourth in the country for new cases per 100,000.

Hyndburn recorded a notable jump in the same time period ­—up from 27.1 to 90.1 with 73 new cases.

In neighbouring Bolton, 515 new cases were recorded in the seven days to September 8 – the equivalent of 179.1 per 100,000 people. This is the highest rate in England and it is up sharply from 94.9 in the seven days to September 1.

Figures by Public Health England show that the number of coronavirus cases in Blackburn with Darwen increased by 50 over the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 2,038 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am today in Blackburn with Darwen, up from 1,988 the same time on Thursday.

From left to right, the table reads:

name of local authority;

rate of new cases in the seven days to September 8;

number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to September 8;

rate of new cases in the seven days to September 1;

number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to September 1.

Bolton 179.1 (515), 94.9 (273)

Oadby and Wigston 100.0 (57), 8.8 (5)

Preston 99.2 (142), 39.8 (57)

Blackburn with Darwen 96.9 (145), 55.4 (83)

Tameside 93.6 (212), 46.8 (106)

Sunderland 91.1 (253), 11.9 (33)

Birmingham 90.3 (1,031), 35.9 (410)

Hyndburn 90.1 (73), 27.1 (22)

Burnley 90.0 (80), 38.2 (34)

Salford 82.3 (213), 47.1 (122)

Bradford 81.1 (438), 65.0 (351)

Oldham 80.1 (190), 64.9 (154)

Warrington 79.5 (167), 18.1 (38)

Bury 79.1 (151), 33.5 (64)

Rochdale 75.5 (168), 47.2 (105)

Manchester 75.4 (417), 45.8 (253)

Leicester 71.1 (252), 30.8 (109)