HEALTH bosses in Essex have issued an urgent plea to the Uttlesford district to reduce social interaction where possible following a sharp rise in coronavrius cases.

Public Health England is said to be keeping an eye on the situation in the area, which has the highest infection rate in Essex.

The rate stands at 65 cases per 100,000 people.

The worst affected areas include Flitch Green, Felsted and High Easter where 11 cases have been recorded between September 26 and October 2, and Stansted Mountfitchet and Elsenham which has seen 14 cases in that period.

Essex County Council's director of public health, Dr Mike Gogarty says the rise in cases means the virus is out in the larger community.

He is now calling on residents to do everything they can to contain the spread of Covid-19.

He said: "Sadly we are starting to see faster and faster increases in cases in many areas of Essex. They are now showing exponential increase, so are doubling every few days. Uttlesford’s case levels have increased over the past week and are now approaching 65 cases per 100,000.

"In Uttlesford this looks very much transmission within the community, as there is no evidence which attributes these cases to a particular event, area or outbreak.

"If cases appear in this way across a district, it makes it much more difficult to manage, contain and prevent further spread.

"Our Contact Tracing team are working hard with colleagues in Public Health and local health protection teams to manage the situation, but we also need the help of the people of Uttlesford.

"We are asking all residents to please adhere to social distancing of 2m wherever possible, consider what social interactions they are taking part in and limit these as much as possible, and whenever possible, people should work from home.

"We know that we are asking a lot from our residents, and that reducing social interaction brings other concerns and anxieties, but we feel this is necessary to avoid more formal local lockdown rules.

"If you commute to work, it is essential to download and use the NHS Covid-19 App. This will allow your identification if you are in contact with a case so you can take necessary action."

Uttlesford Council leader John Lodge said: "The figures indicate that positive cases are now being seen across all age groups, not just younger people as it was some weeks ago, and that is a great concern.

"If we continue to see a rise in infections we will face greater restrictions which will then have an impact on our local businesses that have been trying so hard to get back on their feet.

"I urge all residents to redouble their efforts in following the basic rules around hands, face, space, as well as to delay any social activities if they can and to work from home where possible.

"I’m sure if we all work together we can bring the spread among our community down again."

The figures come from the latest Public Health England ‘patch report’, which do not include data from the most recent four days.

This is because the most recent data can be unreliable and is likely to change. The figures may therefore vary from those published via other sources, such as the Essex Open Data website.