Coronavirus rates have gone up in Norfolk, with an increase in every district and new record rates among children.

But the number of patients with coronavirus in the county's hospitals has fallen.

Case rates for Norfolk went up by just over 30pc in the seven days up to Friday, September 24, Public Health England figures revealed.

The county's case rate increased from 221.9 cases per 100,000 to 288.7, although that remained below England's average of 330 cases per 100,000.

The county also has new record rates among schoolchildren, with 611.3 cases per 100,000 among five to nine-year-olds and 1,423.2 cases per 100,000 among 10 to 14-year-olds.

Great Yarmouth saw the overall highest case rates, up just under 63pc, from 303.4 cases per 100,000 to 494 per 100,000.

The town's Jobcentre Plus, in The Conge, closed its doors on Wednesday for a deep clean, amid reports of multiple cases among staff.

Breckland has the second highest case rate, up 30.4pc from 267.6 per 100,000 to 349, while King's Lynn and West Norfolk was up 30pc from 216.2 to 281.

Norwich increased by 23.9pc from 194.1 per 100,000 to 240.5, Broadland was up 23pc to 263.8 from 214.5 and South Norfolk increased 22.8pc from 202.7 to 248.8.

Case rates in North Norfolk went up 6.9pc, from 164.5 per 100,000 to 175.9.

As of Tuesday (September 28), Norfolk's hospitals had 53 patients, who had tested positive for Covid-19, with five in critical care.

That was down on Monday, September 20, when there were 72 Covid-positive patients in hospital, six in critical care.

The number of outbreaks - defined as two or more linked cases - as of Wednesday, September 29, was 89, down one on the previous week.

Outbreaks in schools and colleges went up from 22 to 26, but fell in care homes and care providers - from 57 to 53.

There were 39,594 people tested for Covid-19 in the seven days up to Thursday, September 23, compared to 36,662 over the previous week - an 8pc increase.

Dr Louise Smith, Norfolk's director of public health, said: "We have been seeing fairly stable Covid-19 case numbers, with a bit of variation up and down across Norfolk and across the whole country.

"The recent rise in cases in Great Yarmouth is well within that national variation.

"We do know that recent increases have been the greatest in school age children, and in the 10-14 age group in particular.

"This reflects a national trend, and case rates in older age groups in these areas remain relatively low.

"In order to keep those numbers low, it is vital that everyone who is offered the Covid-19 vaccine gets jabbed as soon as possible to protect themselves and to protect others.”