The proportion of tests which produce a positive result currently sits at fewer than one in a hundred, as compared with 2.8 per cent at the end of March and nearly one in five at the beginning of the year.

Although at the moment just 0.7 per cent of tests taken locally reflect a Covid-19 infection, Cheshire West and Chester Council officers are pleased to see that the number of people choosing to take a test remains high, reflecting local residents' dedication to preventing an increase in cases.

In the week ending April 20, Cheshire West and Chester's rolling Covid-19 rate was 24 per 100,000 people, with 50 new cases being recorded across the borough.

The vast majority of infections are currently occurring among the teenage population, while for over-60s the rolling rate sits at around 5 per 100,000.

Speaking at a Covid-19 Outbreak Board meeting on Wednesday 21 April, Council Director of Public Health, Ian Ashworth, said: "We've come a long way and I think there is a lot to be confident about as long as we continue to be careful about how we go about things."

Also present at the meeting was Clare Watson from Cheshire's NHS CCG, the body responsible for the vaccine rollout in the county.

She reported that, by last week, 92 per cent of all local residents over 50 had had at least one dose of the vaccine, exceeding the national average of 89 per cent.

Ms Watson added that, although vaccination teams have now moved on to priority cohorts 10-12, any local residents in groups 1-9 who has not been inoculated can still come forward.

"The offer is evergreen so please go and get your vaccination if you haven't already had it," she said.

The full Covid-19 Outbreak Board meeting can be viewed here.