THE numbers of people testing positive for Covid-19 in Cheshire East has dropped over the last week - but figures still remain high compared to earlier in the summer months.

Today (Wednesday) 201 people produced positive coronavirus tests in the borough and over the last week the figure was 1,347, a fall of 176 on the previous seven days, according to government figures.

The PM Boris Johnson has warned of an escalation of hospitalisations through the winter months with scientists projecting a reproduction R rate of 1.5 leading to more than 6,000 daily hospital admissions by mid-October across the UK.

On September 7, the latest data for which hospital figures are available, 1,076 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised across the UK.

At Leighton Hospital [last Tuesday, September 7] a total of 38 patients were receiving treatment for coronavirus - the highest number in the Crewe medical complex since March 12.

The highest most recent daily admission was 10 patients on August 2.

Four of the patients currently at the hospital are in mechanical ventilation beds.

While infections have risen with the ending of restrictions, Crewe is far from a blackspot for the virus in Cheshire.

Wistaston Green is the worst-hit area with a rate of 607.2 infected people per 100,000 population.

Most of Crewe, apart from the north-east side and Gresty Road, have rates below 400, significantly lower than badly-affected areas in the county, such as two areas of Great Sutton and Ellesmere Port where the latest infection rates have climbed over 800 in one case and approaching 900 in the other.

All Covid restrictions were lifted in England on July 19.