LATEST figures show how coronavirus is affecting each age group in Herefordshire.

Public health statistics released by the government show the rate of people with at least one positive Covid-19 test result per 100,000 population in a seven-day period.

The data shows the over 90s group has the highest infection rates.

The case rates are taken for two dates – February 1, some of the latest information available, and a month ago on January 1.

The difference in the data shows how the rates have been falling over the last four weeks.

The worst affected age group is those over-90. The infection rate has stayed at 379.4 cases per 100,000, and is the only group not to see a fall.

The 30 to 34, 35 to 39 and 55 and 59 groups also have high rates, but all have fallen over the last month.

Speaking in January, Herefordshire's acting director of public health Rebecca Howell-Jones said the high rates among the over-90s was due to care home outbreaks.

At the time she didn't comment on how many cases there had been, or at which care homes.

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"It's in Herefordshire with our relatively small numbers [population], but if you group up those population it's the youngest adults comes out as highlighting quite a lot, and also the working age population," she added.

"We do get some higher levels in our older population, but that tends to be when we've had an outbreak at a care home, for example.

"But it's that working age population, particularly those in their early 20s, that quite often come out as higher."

Government data shows that during January an average of 73 people tested positive for Herefordshire each day.

So far for February, the average has been 20 positive test results per day - but the Government website says data for the last five days could be incomplete due to a delay in the processing of tests.

Anyone with symptoms is urged by the government, NHS and council to book a test online. Centres remain open at Hereford's Merton Meadow car park and in Bridge Street, Leominster.

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