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"We cannot definitely attribute the increase in cases to any one source"

Health officials admit the number of reported Covid-19 cases is on the rise again in parts of Northamptonshire.

Reports leaked over the weekend listed Northampton and Kettering among the top 20 “areas of concern” based on data up to July 4.

That was backed up by more government figures showing high numbers of positive tests in the two towns.

Rida Elkheir, Consultant in Public Health at Northamptonshire County Council said: “We have been working with colleagues at Public Health England to better understand the high case rates identified in Kettering and Northampton.

"While there have been cases associated with care homes and workplaces, there is evidence of transmission occurring in households meaning we cannot definitely attribute the increase in cases to any one source.

"It is therefore all the more important that all residents of the county, particularly those in Northampton and Kettering, follow the advice on social distancing and hand hygiene and wear face coverings where social distancing is not possible.”

No areas of Northamptonshire appear currently at risk of a local lockdown with the numbers of new infections well below those which forced the government to act over Leicester.

News of the rise in Covid-19 cases comes less than ten days after pubs reopened in Northampton and Kettering. Photo: Getty Images

But the sharp rise in numbers comes less than ten days after the most significant easing of the lockdown saw pubs, restaurants and hairdressers reopen for the first time in nearly four months.

According to The Guardian, Northampton and Kettering are on a list of 20 "areas of concern" under scrutiny by Public Health England.

Leicester, which is currently under local lockdown, remains top of that list with Northampton 13th and Kettering 18th.

More figures compiled from government daily bulletins then placed Northampton tenth and Kettering 15th in a list of local authority areas with most positive coronavirus tests per 100,000 of the population over a seven-day period up to last Tuesday (July 7).

The number of positive Covid-19 tests in Northampton and Kettering is linked to postcodes not the towns' two hospitals

And more information released on Saturday and Sunday showed a significant 27 new cases in the two towns during a 48-hour period.

All these figures are based on postcodes where the people returning positive tests live.

Health officials admit Covid-19 cases ARE on the rise again in Northampton and Kettering