Infection rates at UK's coronavirus top 10 towns and cities still cause for concern

The towns and cities worst affected by the coronavirus are seeing their rates of infection tick upwards.

All of the ten most severely hit places in the UK have seen their rates increase or stay the same over the past day.

The rates are calculated by the government based on the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in a place per 100,000 members of the public.

While the rates will inevitably rise unless a town or city has a significant population increase, the pace of infection may be a cause of concern.

Several of the areas have seen a double digit increase in their rates compared to yesterday, signalling dozens of new infections in the last day.

Despite the rising figures, cases and deaths, most of the locations have not been subject to more stringent lockdown measures.

Ashford is second on the list (Alamy Stock Photo)

At the top of the infection rate list is Leicester, which remains under local lockdown having been the first city to have some of its freedoms wound back in.

For every 100,000 people in the town, there have been 1,476 confirmed cases - an increase of 11 compared to yesterday.

The top 10 locations are...

1. Leicester (1,476 infections per 100,000 people)
2. Ashford (1,046,)
3. Blackburn with Darwen, (1,041)
4. Bradford (1,007)
5. Oldham (1,007)
6. Wrexham (1,001)
7. Merthyr Tydfil (961)
8. Preston (908)
9. Barrow-in-Furness (896)
10. Rochdale (893)

Coronavirus in numbers: Worldwide cases rise above 20,000,000

Blackburn has seen in infection rate rise (Getty Images)

Despite the rise and fact that all but Merthyr Tydfil and Barrow-in-Furness have recorded considerably more than 1,000 coronavirus cases so far, only Leicester, Bradford, Preston and Rochdale have had localised lockdowns enforced.

The others on the top ten worst affected list have not escaped the attention of the authorities however.

Oldham has been placed on the government's local lockdown watch list, along with 28 other places.

Leicester has been subject to a localised lockdown for weeks (Getty Images)

If their rates of infection continue to rise then residents may see some of their freedoms curtailed.

For example, in Leicester, two households are not allowed to come together in doors, unlike most of the rest of the country.

Areas also considered of concern include Swindon, Northampton, Peterborough, Sandwell, Bedford, Wakefield, Oadby and Wigston and Eden.

Boris Johnson has previously warned the UK is at risk of a ‘second wave’.

He has urged Britons to remain vigilant to halt the spread of the virus.

The Prime Minster has delayed the reopening of casinos, bowling alleys and skating rinks in a bid to do this.