Kent has recorded the highest number of new coronavirus cases of any county in the UK over the past week.

But the rate of Covid-19 cases in the county remains below the national average, according to the latest government figures released today.

With 4,318 new cases recorded in the seven days up to Tuesday, August 17, the county has more than any other upper tier local authority in the UK over the same period.

Second highest was Hampshire with 4,139 cases, followed by Devon with 3,990.

Kent's figure represents a 16% increase over a week.

However, the county's infection rate of 271.7 people per 100,000 of the population remains below the UK average of 319.8.

Figures for Medway are recorded separately and the area saw 718 new cases over the same week, at a slightly lower rate of 257.2. The figures represents a fall of 7.4%.

The other parts of the county to see a slight fall are Dartford and Maidstone, with the number rising everywhere else.

Within the county, the highest number of new cases outside of Medway was in Thanet, which recorded 568 over the seven day period, an increase of 75.9%.

The latest figures come as 970,705 people in Kent aged over 18 - 73.8% of the population - have now received their second Covid-19 vaccination, with 159,429 in Medway, 70.1% of the population.

New plans have been unveiled for the rollout of a coronavirus booster jab for more than one million Kent residents next month. The Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has laid out next steps to be taken to deliver the third phase of the Covid vaccination programme across the 13 districts.

The county has recorded 4,043 deaths and Medway 756 since the start of the pandemic.

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