A surge in Covid-19 infection rates in recent days in Cheshire East has prompted a call for a new test and trace system to be established.

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in the borough jumped by 188 yesterday. That took the total of Covid cases reported over the last seven days (up to November 12) to 928, a rise of 16 per cent on the previous week.

While the effects of the second lockdown - which started on November 5 - are unlikely to show up in the figures yet, Cheshire East Council leader Cllr Sam Corcoran says the rise is of concern and highlights why tier 2 restrictions would have been insufficient to spread the control of the disease across the borough.

Cheshire East's infection rate stands at 219.2 per 100,000 population and there have been 12 coronavirus deaths reported in the last seven days.

The authority's Labour leader has lashed out at the NHS Track and Trace system which is being overseen by private sector firm Serco.

Figures at the end of last month showed less than 60 per cent of contacts of those testing positive are being tracked down by the system, says the council leader, who believes a back-up system run by local authorities is needed to supplement it.

"We have seen a big increase (in positive tests) and coupled with high increases over the last few days it suggests that after remaining flat over a few weeks the rate of infection (in Cheshire East) is going up again," said Cllr Corcoran.

"It will take a couple of weeks for the impact of the measures to feed through so any increase which reflects the lockdown won't be seen until the end of next week.

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"But in order to bring the outbreak properly under control we need a good test and trace system. The NHS has recently reached its lowest ever proportion of contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England.

"Less than 60 per cent of contacts were tracked down in the week ending October 28 compared to a target of 90 per cent."

The council leader says people should write to their MPs asking them why, if they are not, lending their support to local councils trying to set up a "proper" test and trace service.