Cambridgeshire has peaked above the national Covid-19 seven-day case rate by over a third while vaccine uptake in the county has dipped, figures show.

In the seven days up to March 3, Cambridgeshire recorded an average of 471.1 cases per 100,000 people on February 25 before slightly declining to 469.6.

This figure is higher than the England seven-day case rate between February 25 and March 3, which is 330.6.

Out of five districts in the county, East Cambridgeshire’s seven-day average increased from 424.7 to 490.2 Covid cases per 100,000 people by March 3.

Huntingdonshire also saw a rise, while Fenland recorded a drop from 477.1 to 355.6 cases per 100,000 people during the same time period.

South Cambridgeshire recorded the highest case rate of any of the five districts between February 25 and March 3 with 536.3.

The figures come after Cambridgeshire County Council reported 3,809 new infections in the county for the week of February 13-19, 28.3pc less than the previous week.

A county council spokesperson said: “The number of cases and hospitalisations in Cambridgeshire at the end of last year was high and there were pockets of low vaccination uptake.”

For all three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, Cambridgeshire also ranked below the national average.

As of March 7, the county’s average first dose uptake was 82.2pc compared to 91.6pc for England, whereas 78.1pc have had a second dose in contrast to 85.3pc nationally.

However, the margin was tighter for third dose averages with Cambridgeshire seeing 64.5pc of residents taking this jab to the national average of 66.1pc.

In December, the county was given a three-week extension to its coronavirus enhanced response area (ERA) status to combat the rise in Covid cases and drive vaccine uptake.

"We did not apply for a further extension as many of the measures secured through ERA status were available through the government’s ‘Plan B’,” the council spokesperson said.

"There were benefits to continuing ERA status; these included measures to help break transmission in schools where the number of cases were a particular concern.

“Whilst we are no longer in ERA status, our Covid infection rates are still high, so it is important to maintain protective behaviours.”