YORK'S coronavirus rate is now so low compared to the rest of the region that the city appears as a pale blue island in a sea of deep blue and purple on the latest map.

The city's seven-day rate of cases per 100,000 of population, which peaked as high as 309.6 on October 20, was 176.1 yesterday.

That meant it was coloured in pale blue in the Public Health England map - the colour used for figures between 101 and 200.

The figure is below the national and regional averages, which stood yesterday at 264.4 and 446.8 per 100,000 population respectively.

North Yorkshire, with a figure yesterday of 311.8, was coloured a deep blue, the colour used for figures between 201 and 400.

East Yorkshire, with a figure of 484.2, was coloured purple, the colour used for figures more than 400.

Leeds, with a figure of 441.8, was also purple, as was Middlesbrough, with a figure of 467.4.

Within North Yorkshire, there were wildly different figures, with Ryedale's only 186.0, Hambleton's 231.5, Selby's 252.7 and Scarborough's 579.3.

York council leader Keith Aspden has thanked residents and businesses for bringing down the city's rate but warned against complacency.