MORE than 460 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed across Cheshire East and West in the latest Government figures.

The data covers the 24-hour period up to 9am today, January 6, when there were 214 cases in Cheshire East 247 in Cheshire West.

The combined total of 461 Covid cases is the lowest announced so far this week, compared to 513 yesterday and 520 on Monday.

It means that there have now been a total of 13,665 cases in Cheshire East and 13,724 in Cheshire West since the pandemic began.

Nationally, there was another new peak of 62,322 cases announced across the UK today, the second day running that there have been more than 60,000 Covid cases in 24 hours.

Meanwhile, seven-day infection rates have increased for the seventh day in a row across both Cheshire boroughs, according to Public Health England’s latest figures.

Cheshire East’s infection rate now stands 431.3 per 100,000 people, following 1,657 cases in the week up to January 1.

This is higher than the figure of 411.3 per 100,000 people published yesterday, 229.1 per 100,000 people one week earlier and 176.5 per 100,000 people a fortnight ago.

The infection rate in Cheshire West doubled in the week between Christmas and new year, with 1,745 cases in the seven days up to January 1 giving a new rate of 508.6 per 100,000 people.

That is higher than the rates of 480.1 per 100,000 people published yesterday, 254.5 per 100,000 people one week earlier and 213.7 per 100,000 people a fortnight ago.

MPs are voting to retrospectively bring the English lockdown into law this evening, with a result expected after 7pm.