CORONAVIRUS cases continued their plunge with only 26 reported cases in Cheshire East today (Friday).

Over the last week there have been 216 confirmed Covid cases, a fall of 52 from the previous seven days, which is a drop of nearly a fifth.

A key measure of infection has also been dropping to levels unseen in previous lockdowns with the borough rate of infection now down to 64.3 per 100,000 population as of March 7. That compares with the England average of 59.4.

In parts of Wistaston there were less than three confirmed cases of Covid in the whole of the week ending March 7.

There were no deaths due to Covid today in Cheshire East and the nine recorded in the last week - 28 days after a positive test - was a drop of two from the previous week.

Meanwhile, hospital admissions continue to fall, according to the latest NHS England data, in Mid Cheshire Hospitals/Leighton Hospital.

Leighton was caring for 44 coronavirus patients in hospital as of March 9, which was down from 66 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 has decreased by 68 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 137.