YORK'S weekly rate of recorded cases of Covid-19 is now more than four times the amount it was at the start of December, the latest figures confirm.

The data from Public Health England (PHE) shows that the York's weekly case rate is now 240.2 people per 100,000. Earlier this month, York recorded a rate as low as 59, which was on the borderline of allowing the city to move into more relaxed Tier 1 restrictions.

York's weekly rate is also now worse than Scarborough's, which stands at 238.1 people per 100,000. The coastal town hit the headlines earlier in the month for having one of the highest rates in the country.

This steep rise in York's rate is a cause for concern, with the Government set to review the tier system tomorrow.

The PHE data shows that there have been 123 new cases recorded in the City of York Council area, taking the total up to 6,890.

North Yorkshire's rate has also increased by just under four to 178.5 people per 100,000. There have been a further 258 cases recorded in the North Yorkshire County Council area.

Across the UK, a further 53,135 cases have been recorded, the largest number of cases recorded in one day since the pandemic began.