We are now one week in to the first step of the government's roadmap out of lockdown, and case numbers have begun to plateau, both locally and nationally.

Last week, we reported that the number of new infections in Frodsham, Helsby and the surrounding villages had reached a six month low, with only eight cases being recorded across the area.

During the seven days up to March 10, the situation in the rural area around Helsby and Kingsley remained much the same, with only three residents testing positive for Covid-19. The rolling coronavirus rate in these villages is currently 32 per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, there was a small uptick in cases in Frodsham, where seven infections made for a rate of 76 per 100,000.

This is slightly higher than the Cheshire West average of 63.8 per 100,000. In the last seven days, there have been 208 positive cases in the borough, with 10 Covid-related deaths also being reported.

Vaccinations

By Thursday 11 March, 293,526 Cheshire residents had received at least their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination, and 91 per cent of over-60s had been inoculated against the virus.

In that week alone, over 30,000 doses had been administered, covering four per cent of the county's adult population.