The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in each part of Kent has stayed broadly consistent despite a number of restrictions being eased, figures show.

Data for July analysed by KentOnline shows over the five weeks to Friday no local authority area saw figures consistently rise or fall during a time when pubs and restaurants opened and beaches were swamped.

Last week the only part of the county to record more Covid-19 cases than the previous seven days was Swale.

While the borough did see cases increase during July, it was an inconsistent and unremarkable rise recording 7, 6, 7, 8 and 12 cases in each of the past five weeks.

In Ashford, which still has the second worst rate of accumulated infections in England, there were 33 positive tests in the week to July 3, by far the most in Kent and 50% higher than second place Folkestone (22). Last week's total was just 10.

Medway and Thanet were included in a list of areas at apparent risk of localised lockdown widely circulated but also rubbished by health bosses at the start of the month.

This was because case numbers seemed to be on the rise in those areas.

In Medway 19 cases were recorded in the week ending July 3, but that dropped to six the following week and was 14 last week.

In Thanet 20 cases were recorded in each of the first three weeks but numbers then fell to 14 and stood at 12 last week.

In the week to July 3 176 cases were recorded across Kent, that then fell to 146 and then 143 before increasing to 175 and falling again to 113 last week.

While positive sample numbers depend on how many tests are carried out in any given week the absence of any increases or big spikes is a positive sign that lockdown easing has not hit Kent as hard as it has some areas of the country.

The number of new tests and rate per 100,000 residents helps inform decisions about how well towns and cities are coping and whether restrictions can continue to be eased.

Last week Boris Johnson announced he was putting the brakes on any return to normality just hours after we reported how the 'R rate' - the number of people each infected person passes the virus to - crept above 1 in the south east for the first time since lockdown.

The Prime Minister said the reason for putting a halt to things like wedding receptions and face-to-face beauty treatment was a rise in case numbers for the first time since May.

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said it seemed like the country had reached the limit of freedoms.

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