Large areas of Waveney area could be Covid-free for the first time since December, the latest statistics show.

Only Lowestoft central and Beccles are above the UK average for positive cases, while five areas in north Suffolk have less than three cases.

Across East Suffolk, cases dropped by more than a third, with the latest available statistics showing 48.9 positive cases per 100,000 people - 122 in total.

Cases haven't been so low in the district since the seven days to October 19, where there were 40.5 cases per 100,000 people.

The government does not release exact figures for areas with less than three cases to protect people's identities, although the areas with fewer than three cases are:

  • Normanston and Oulton Broad east
  • Gunton east, Corton and Somerleyton
  • Walberswick, Yoxford and Wenhaston
  • Halesworth and Wangford
  • Southwold, Reydon and Wrentham

There were also less than three cases reported in Norfolk in Ditchingham, Hempnall and Wortwell.

Cases rose in just three areas, according to the figures.

These are Pakefield south and Kessingland, with a rise of two to five cases in total, and Carlton Colville, also with two more cases taking the total to seven.

Lowestoft central, where cases rose by one, remains the only area in Waveney in double figures for the total number of cases with 11.

There was also a rise across the border in Norfolk in Thurlton, Haddiscoe and Geldeston, up by five cases to eight in total.

Although remaining above the UK average, cases in Beccles dropped by 11 to a total of seven, while a significant drop of more than 80pc was also found in Pakefield north, where cases fell from 21 to four.

The figures for other areas in Waveney are:

  • Bungay and the Saints: Three total cases, down by seven
  • Oulton: Three total cases, down by four
  • Pakefield north: Four total cases, down by 17
  • Worlingham and Barnby: Five total cases, down by seven
  • Oulton Broad west: Five total cases, down by one
  • Gunton west: Five total cases, down by six
  • Lowestoft Harbout and Kirkley: Six total cases, down by seven
  • Beccles: Seven total cases, down by 11

In Suffolk, the total number of cases dropped to 64.9 per 100,000 in the week up to February 23 - the latest figures available - compared to 70.1 in the previous seven-day period.

Cases also fell across the border in Norfolk, with 75.8 cases per 100,000 people shown a drop from 109.2 the week before - the lowest figures since October.