A FURTHER 44 confirmed cases of coronavirus were recorded in Cheshire West and Chester during the latest 24-hour reporting period, according to Government data.

The increase in the period up to 4pm today (September 28) brings the total number of cases for the borough since the pandemic began to 2,679.

It represents a 24-hour increase of 14 cases compared to yesterday's figure.

The number of positive Covid-19 cases recorded in west Cheshire last week (September 21-27) is 197, according to the Government data, but is likely to increase with some tests taking a few days to confirm a positive result.

That puts the infection rate for Cheshire West and Chester at nearly 60 cases per 100,000 people.

The figure of 20 cases per 100,000 is the threshold the UK's governments have used to judge whether returning travellers from foreign countries must endure a 14-day quarantine period.

A tightening of coronavirus restrictions could soon come to Cheshire, after Cheshire West and Chester Council moved to request extra regulations from the government.

Meanwhile, the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust has, to date, not registered a death of a patient testing positive for the virus for more than 10 weeks.

However, Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has recorded another additional death in the latest 24-hour reporting period according to NHS England.

The total number of people who have died in Cheshire hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus stands at 730.

The Countess of Chester Hospital Trust has recorded 227 deaths (last recorded July 18), Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has recorded 214 deaths, the last on August 31; East Cheshire NHS Trust 146 (last recorded July 22), and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 143 (last recorded September 26).

NHS England reported a further 44 deaths of people testing positive for the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,962.

Patients were aged between 47 and 99 years-old. All had known underlying health conditions.

Date of death ranges from September 23-28.