Cheshire East's Swab Squad are in Waitrose's car park today (Friday) taking walk-in tests until 4pm.

As reported earlier in the week click Covid-19 cases are at their highest level in Cheshire East since the global pandemic was declared in March 2020 – and the biggest breakout is in Sandbach.

Latest figures released on the official UK government website for data and insights on coronavirus (Covid-19), show the rate of positive cases in Cheshire East as 540 per 100,000 population.

This is significantly higher than the rates per 100,000 population in the North West and in England of 408 and 357 respectively.

For the seven–day period ending on 7 October 2021 in Cheshire East the areas with the highest positive case rates per 100,000 population were:

• Sandbach Ettiley Heath & Wheelock - 1,175
• Alsager West - 1,161
• Alsager East – 1,013
• Sandbach North – 1,008
• Congleton West Heath - 868

In addition, a letter has been sent to the parents of school children in the borough setting out that where one person in a household tests positive, children and young people from that household, who attends school or college should:

• Limit their social contacts;
• Arrange for a PCR test and should not attend school or college for a minimum of five days; and
• If the test result is positive the person should self-isolate, as required by law.

Additional school measures will also include:

• Face masks in communal areas and classrooms