The director of public health in Cheshire East has called on residents to observe two metre social distancing following a sharp rise in cases locally.

The borough is currently in tier 2 of restrictions and neighbouring areas in Greater Manchester will move into the 'very high' tier 3 today.

Dr Matt Tyrer said: "If you remember one thing to protect yourself and your loved ones from the virus, it's this – keep your distance, two metres is best.

"The virus can't spread if people do the right thing and don't get close together. You are very unlikely to get the virus if you are two metres away from an infected person, simply because of the way the virus is transmitted. So, try and keep two metres away from anyone you don't live with. Where you can't, keep at least one metre away, and wear a face covering if you can.

He added that it is also essential to maintain the basics of washing your hands for 20 seconds frequently and wearing face coverings in shops and other indoor settings where required.

Dr Tyrer acknowledged that the number of rules and regulations could be "confusing", but said two metre social distancing is the "basic principle" everyone should remember to follow.

"Let's do the right thing for Cheshire East and keep to a safe distance whenever possible, this will make it a lot harder for the virus to spread," he said.