THE number of Cheshire West people aged 60 and above who have tested positive for Covid has hit its lowest rate since the pandemic began last March.

Latest Government figures show that, for the most recent week available of April 1-7, just two people aged 60 or above in the whole of Cheshire West and Chester had tested positive for coronavirus. One of them tested positive on April 2, the other on April 3.

That means the area's infection rate has equalled the lowest number hit during the pandemic – 2.1, set from August 20-26, 2020, and is the lowest since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The rate of people testing positive for Covid continues to decline in those aged 0-59 as well, with 54 positive cases recorded from April 1-7, giving a seven-day infection rate of 21.8.

For context, at the peak of the pandemic in January this year, there were 454 people aged 60 and above who had tested positive in the seven days to January 4 (infection rate 475.9), while 1,694 people aged 0-59 had tested positive (infection rate 683.9).

The infection rate is expected to rise slightly in the coming days as at least 23 cases from April 9 have yet to be factored into the data, which is more than the current average of about nine new cases per day.

In Cheshire west, the only six wards to record more than two cases from April 1-7 are Winsford Swanlow and Blacon (eight cases each), Central and Grange (seven cases), Winsford Over and Verdin (four cases) and Tattenhall and Winsford Dene (three cases).

As of April 11, 61.1 per cent of the UK adult population had received their first dose of a Covid vaccine, while 14.5 per cent had received both doses.

People aged 45 and over are now being invited to get their vaccine through the NHS website.