YORK'S Covid rate has fallen again and is now so much lower that it is no longer shaded purple on a Public Health England map and is no longer the highest in the region.

The rolling seven-day rate for the City of York Council area in the week to January 19 was 354.7 per 100,000 population, which takes it below the threshold for purple shading of 400.

It is instead shaded deep blue, like much of the Yorkshire region, although the East Riding of Yorkshire Council area is shaded light blue as it has a rate below 200, of only 174.7.

The North Yorkshire County Council area had a rate of 257.9.

Redcar and Cleveland have a higher rate than York, of 428.7.