THE city’s coronavirus infection rate has returned to pre-Christmas levels after dropping by more than a third in a week.

Worcester’s infection rate was 191.7 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to February 9 – lower than the rate of 201.5 cases per 100,000 people seen on December 23.

A total of 194 cases were recorded in Worcester in the week according to Public Health England – a drop of almost 35 per cent when compared to the previous week’s figures.

The rate in Worcester had started to decrease from 83 cases per 100,000 people on December 15 before reaching a peak of 815 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to January 8 - a rise of more than 880 per cent in just over three weeks.

Worcestershire’s infection rate was 167.8 cases per 100,000 people in the same week with 1,000 cases recorded.

The rate in Worcestershire also dropped by almost 35 per cent when compared to the previous week’s figures.

The infection rate in Wychavon, which includes Evesham and Pershore, was 168.4 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to February 9.

Wychavon’s rate dropped more than 40 per cent when compared to the previous week’s figures having been the highest in the county in the first week of February.

Malvern's infection rate was 111.8 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to February 9.

The highest infection rate in Worcestershire was in Redditch at 221.7 cases per 100,000 people.

Bromsgrove's infection rate was 165.2 cases per 100,000 people and Wyre Forest's infection rate was 144.1 cases per 100,000 people.