This weekend has been the first under the full restrictions of the third national lockdown - and coronavirus cases are continuing to rise in all areas of Suffolk.

Ipswich has been a hotspot for infections over the last couple of weeks, overtaking Babergh as the previous epicentre of cases in the county.

The rolling infection rate, which is the number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people, was 672 in Ipswich for the seven days leading to January 6, compared with 496.7 in the week leading to December 30.

Data from more recent days is excluded, as it is not yet complete.

Ipswich is the only area in Suffolk which continues to have a higher infection rate than the average for England. It recorded 920 new cases in the week leading to January 6.

Mid Suffolk maintains the lowest rolling infection rate of 426.4 cases per 100,000 people, recording 443 new cases of the virus.

Infection rates in north Essex have remained higher than those in Suffolk, as has been the case through most of the pandemic, with the most new cases being recorded in Tendring - with 1,705 in the week leading to January 6.

Braintree continues to have the highest rolling infection rate per 100,000 people with 1,186.1, up from 1,027.5 the week before.

All the infection rates for north Essex areas are now higher than the average for England.

It is hoped the strict lockdown now in place will relieve pressure on the NHS. Nick Hulme, chief executive of Ipswich and Colchester hospitals, recently admitted the intensive care units at both sites are both full.

On Sunday, 563 more people nationally were revealed to have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus.

This brings the total number of Covid-related deaths nationally to 81,431.

Separate figures published by statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 97,000 deaths involving Covid-19 nationally.

The total number of coronavirus cases has now risen to just over 3million.

The number of people dying each day is now higher than during the first peak of the pandemic and infection rates have long surpassed those from spring 2020.