NINE new coronavirus cases were recorded in Basingstoke and Deane last week.

The figures, for the seven days to September 18, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

It is one fewer than the previous week, where ten cases were confirmed in the borough.

On top of this, the rate of infection has decreased in Basingstoke and Deane in September - despite fears of a second wave.

For the seven days up until September 18, 5.1 out of every 100,000 people in the borough were being diagnosed with coronavirus, down from 5.7 the previous week.

It comes as Boris Johnson is set to outline new restrictions to try and curb a recent nationwide increase in cases.

The Prime Minister will speak in Parliament this lunchtime before making a televised address to the nation at 8pm tonight to outline the latest restrictions.

He will formally announce that from Thursday, pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues across England will have to close at 10pm.

Additionally, outlets must only offer table service, whilst cabinet office minister Michael Gove said people should work from home if they can.

It is not known why the infection rate decreased in Basingstoke and Deane whilst it has been increasing nationwide in recent weeks.

The Gazette has previously reported how residents across the borough have been left unable to access coronavirus tests in recent weeks.

One mental health worker, who was left unable to get a test for five days, said that the inability for many residents to get Covid-19 tests would be the reason there was no new cases.

Yesterday, it was announced that the coronavirus threat level should be raised from 3 to 4, meaning "a Covid-19 epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high or rising exponentially".