Cheshire West and Chester Council are trying to contact any local people who have been affected by the nation-wide error in the counting of Covid-19 cases which occurred last week.

The government recently admitted that, in the week leading up to 2nd October, 15,841 positive coronavirus cases were neither included in national statistics nor entered into the Test and Trace system.

Taking this updated information into account, Cheshire West's weekly rate of Covid cases has risen from 70.2 per 100,000 residents on 26 September to 119.2 on 2 October.

All those who tested positive during that time have been informed, but were not entered into the Test and Trace system, meaning that the people with whom they had been in contact were not notified.

These individuals are now being traced, but many will receive the news later than the 24-48 hour time period recommended by public health experts.

Cheshire West Council is working to support these people and to get in touch with anyone that they may have mixed with during this time.

Council leader, Cllr Louise Gittins, said: "This is concerning news and we are working to resolve this situation so that contacts of those who were infected are informed and are able to self-isolate.

"Infections at a local level have been rising rapidly over recent weeks. Cheshire East and Cheshire West were recently added to the national watchlist as areas of concern, and this latest development with a large increase in case numbers only serves to reinforce the work which is already underway.

"It was agreed at the borough's cross-party Outbreak Management Board last Monday that action needs to be taken now to arrest the current trend and limit further spread of the virus as quickly as possible."