A FURTHER 82 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Cheshire West and Chester in the latest 24-hour reporting period.

The rise in the period up to 4pm today (October 7) brings the total number of cases for the borough to 3,270.

Yesterday's update saw a total of 105 new cases confirmed – the highest one-day figure for the area since the pandemic began.

In England, the latest number of new cases is 11,528 which takes the overall total to 465,704.

NHS England data released this afternoon showed the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust had not recorded any additional deaths of patients testing positive for coronavirus.

The total number of people who have died in Cheshire hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus stands at 736.

The Countess of Chester Hospital Trust has recorded 228 deaths (the last on October 1), Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has recorded 214 deaths, (the last on August 31); East Cheshire NHS Trust 147 (the last on September 30), and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 146 (the last on October 2).

Across England, a further 54 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 30,280.

The weekly infection rate for Cheshire West and Chester, as of October 2, stood at 119.2 cases per 100,000 – a higher figure than when lockdown measures were introduced in other parts of the UK, including in Flintshire and Wrexham.

The borough had already been highlighted as an 'area of concern' by the Government.