THE Covid rate in Selby - the UK's worst Covid hotspot at the end of April - has now fallen to below the UK and English average.

Public Health England said today that the rolling seven day rate in the Selby district in the week to May 26 was 21 cases per 100,000 after 19 cases were confirmed.

The average for the UK was 28.6, and the average for England was 27.2.

On May 2, The Press reported that Selby's rolling rate in the seven days to April 26 was 114.8 cases per 100,000, with the country's next highest rate being 82.7 in Hyndburn in Lancashire.

Selby's soaring rate was caused by an outbreak at a business in the town, Clipper Logistics, and health officials took a series of steps to try to bring it under control, such as creating an extra testing site and working in schools, care settings, community centres and the hospitality sector to reinforce key prevention messages and help manage any cases. That work now appears to have paid off.

Meanwhile, York's Covid rolling rate has risen slightly today to 19 per 100,000 people, with a further seven cases being confirmed today, while Ryedale once again has had no new cases and is one of only four places in the UK with a 0.0 rolling rate.