THE number of confirmed coronavirus cases has soared in west Cheshire, after a 'technical error' meant many were not included in Government data until yesterday (Sunday, October 4).

A total of 164 new cases were added to the area yesterday, after an IT national blunder meant about 16,000 cases were not added to the system over the past week.

Even taking into account the error, the figures still show a huge rise in the number of confirmed cases for west Cheshire, with 80 confirmed cases accounted for on September 30, by some way the highest one-day figure in the area during the whole of the pandemic.

The highest one-day figure during the first wave of coronavirus was 47, back on April 28, although this was some time before large-scale testing began, meaning it is highly likely the vast majority of coronavirus cases were not recorded.

It also means the infection rate for the area has risen sharply again, and now stands at 100.7.

This figure is higher than the infection rate for when lockdown measures were introduced in other parts of the UK, including in Flintshire and Wrexham.

Cheshire West and Chester had already been highlighted as an 'area of concern' by the Government.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in west Cheshire now stands at 3,015.

It comes as the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust registered its first death of a patient testing positive for coronavirus since July 18.

NHS England data released on Saturday showed that the death sadly occurred on October 1.