A FURTHER 157 cases of coronavirus were recorded across Cheshire West and Chester in the latest 24-hour reporting period.

The Government figures shows that the borough has now had 8,316 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.

A further 157 were recorded in the latest 24-hour data released shortly after 4pm yesterday (November 19), after 117 were confirmed during the previous day's update.

The data relates to the number of people with at least one positive Covid-19 virus test result. If a person has had more than one positive test they are only counted as one case.

The weekly infection rate for Cheshire West and Chester – in the seven days up to November 15 – stands at 299.4 (1,027 cases) per 100,000 people, up from 288.0 (988 cases) during the previous week-long period.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told broadcasters today that there would need to be some rules in place at Christmas but he is keen for people to have "some joy" after a tough year.

"We do hope over Christmas to agree a set of rules across the UK, because so many people travel around the UK, and that work is ongoing", he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

"But there will have to be rules in place, we just hope to be able to get something of the yearning people have to see their loved ones at Christmas and to have some of that joy that Christmas brings. But it has to be careful."

The Cabinet minister added: "Christmas is a special time of year and we’ve had such a difficult year in 2020 – it has been such a terrible year and having some hope, some joy at Christmas, I know that would be welcomed by so many people.

"So we are trying to agree across the UK a set of rules that allows for that joy but keeps people safe."

Mr Hancock said transmission levels were "slightly" different in each part of the UK, but added: "Across the UK as a whole, we are now seeing that flattening of the curve."