VACCINE supplies to Cheshire East will be stepped up again, having been "throttled back" by government.

That's according to Labour council leader Sam Corcoran, who revealed there have been "teething problems" at the opening of a mass vaccination centre at Alderley Park.

Cllr Corcoran said: "The vaccination programme is going very well, indeed it was going so well that there was a government decision to throttle back the supply of vaccines to Cheshire East so that other areas could catch up.

"I did have some concerns about the mass vaccination site in Alderley Park being set up at the same time the vaccine supply was being throttled back.

"Indeed, there were some teething problems but I am pleased to report the vaccine supply in Cheshire East is now increasing again."

The Cheshire East leader says that the over-55s should be receiving their invitation letters shortly, whereupon they can either go to a mass vaccination centre using the national booking system, or wait, probably only for a few days, to be invited by their GP to a local centre, organised by primary care networks.

Cheshire East's deputy leader, Cllr Craig Browne, has revealed the Alderley Park site is currently delivering 650 jabs per day, with capacity to provide 1,000.

He added that there were plans to expand this figure even further in the coming weeks.

Cheshire East's rate of infection is currently down to 63 cases per 100,000 residents, close to England's average of 62.8.