FEWER than 200 new cases of Covid have been confirmed in Cheshire East and West in the latest figures as infection rates continue to fall.

New figures from Public Health England cover the 24-hour period up to 9am today, January 25.

In that time, there were 130 new Covid cases in Cheshire West, and 68 in Cheshire East – a total of 198.

That brings the total number of Covid cases since the pandemic began to 17,843 in Cheshire West and 17,121 in Cheshire East.

Both boroughs have seen a drop in their daily case number since yesterday, when 140 cases were announced in Cheshire West and 105 in Cheshire East.

Meanwhile, the infection rates for both boroughs have fallen to their lowest level since December 28, 2020.

In Cheshire West, the rate now stands at 376 per 100,000 people, following 1,290 cases in the seven days up to January 20.

That is lower than yesterday’s figure of 388.3 per 100,000 people, 465.2 per 100,000 people one week earlier and 567.5 per 100,000 people a fortnight ago.

In Cheshire East, the rate is 294.9 per 100,000 people, following 1,133 cases in the seven days up to January 20.

That is lower than yesterday’s rate of 300.4 per 100,000 people, 331.1 per 100,000 people one week earlier and 452.2 per 100,000 people a fortnight ago.