"BE more Covid conscious" is the plea to people under 35 following a rise in the number of positive coronavirus cases among this age group in the Cheshire West and Chester area.

The council's director of public health, Ian Ashworth, is appealing to those residents to play their part in protecting their communities by social distancing, covering faces and washing hands.

He says it's vital people are not "complacent" otherwise stricter measures may have to be imposed like in other areas of the country.

Cases have started to rise and hit double figures with the borough this week recording its biggest one-day increase in more than three months.

Government data released on Monday, September 7 revealed that fifteen new cases were recorded in 24 hours, the most since June 1 when 20 cases were confirmed.

Factors leading to a rise in reported cases include the easing of lockdown measures, which have seen more people gathering in public places, and a significantly increased testing programme compared to earlier in the pandemic.

Social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal across England from Monday (September 14) as the Government tackles the rise in coronavirus cases.

Mr Ashworth said: "It is six months since lockdown began in March and it has been a long and difficult period for all of us.

"The lockdown has affected many lives in countless ways and it is understandable that many of us were keen to get back to some form of normality when restrictions were lifted in July.

"People wanted to see loved ones again and business owners and workers wanted to return to work and support the local economy.

"However, the virus has not gone away and we have not yet got a vaccine. We are starting to see an increase in the number of positive cases in under 35s in west Cheshire. This is also the case in our neighbouring boroughs.

"We need everyone's help to stop the spread and keep our case numbers low. The only way to do this is for everyone to play their part and be more Covid conscious in our daily lives.

"Social distance by two metres where possible, cover your faces when indoors and travelling on public transport, and wash your hands regularly or use a hand sanitiser.

"Anyone who is symptomatic should stay home and arrange to get tested by calling 119 or visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus

"It is really important that we are not complacent, or it may result in restrictions being imposed here similar to other parts of the country, where hospitality venues have been forced to close and stricter restrictions have been re-imposed. If we want to keep our pubs and restaurants open, we must all play our part."