MORE than 500 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed across Cheshire East and West ahead of Boris Johnson’s next Covid announcement tonight, January 4.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce new coronavirus restrictions to tackle the recent surge in Covid cases, on a day which has seen another 24-hour record high number in cases, at 58,784.

New figures from Public Health England cover the 24-hour period up to 9am today, when there were 279 new Covid cases in Cheshire East and 241 in Cheshire West, a total of 520.

In total, Cheshire East has now had 13,271 Covid cases since the pandemic began, while Cheshire West has seen 13,144.

Both boroughs were moved up two tiers in the past two weeks by the Government, but infection rates continue to soar.

In the latest data from Public Health England, Cheshire West now has an infection rate of 434.6 per 100,000 people, following 1,491 cases in the week up to December 30.

That compares to rates of 396.4 per 100,000 people in the figures released yesterday, 260 per 100,000 people one week earlier and 197 per 100,000 people a fortnight ago.

In Cheshire East, the rate now stands at 378.8 per 100,000 people, following 1,455 cases in the week up to December 30.

That compares to rates of 323.8 per 100,000 people in the figure released yesterday, 235.6 per 100,000 people one week earlier and 163 per 100,000 people a fortnight ago.