A FURTHER 19 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been recorded for the Cheshire West and Chester area in the latest daily reporting period, according to Government data.

The increase in the 24-hour period up to 4pm today (September 15) is in addition to the ten reported in the previous day's update, and brings the total number of confirmed cases for the borough recorded to 2,314.

The number of positive Covid-19 cases recorded in west Cheshire for the week of September 2-8 has now been increased to 93 on the Government data, with a few tests taking about a week to confirm a positive result.

It means the infection rate for Cheshire West and Chester is now above 20 cases per 100,000 people for the most recent week of data available.

The figure of 20 cases per 100,000 is the threshold the UK’s governments have used to judge whether returning travellers from foreign countries must endure a 14-day quarantine period.

Despite the continuing rise in coronavirus cases, the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust has, to date, not registered a death for over eight weeks.

The total number of people who have died in Cheshire hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus stands at 726.

The Countess of Chester Hospital Trust has recorded 227 deaths (last recorded July 18), Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has recorded 214 deaths, the last on August 31; East Cheshire NHS Trust 146 (last recorded July 22), and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 139 (last recorded August 24).

In England, a further 14 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,676.