Cheshire East's opposition leader, Cllr Janet Clowes, has told the LDRS that the borough is "not in a state of imminent change" regarding a potential local lockdown.

The Conservative representative also welcomed the government's local lockdown approach as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

Cllr Clowes was responding to a video posted by CEC leader Cllr Sam Corcoran, in which he urged residents to act as they did during the spring lockdown by only going out "when really necessary".

The Labour leader added: "I believe that additional restrictions will be needed and I urge people to only go out where necessary.

"We're not in lockdown in Cheshire East, but please think back to when we were in lockdown."

Cllr Clowes said: "We are still below the national average but that is creeping up. The officers are on call all weekend and I have no doubt they would let us know.

"We are not in a state of imminent change."

Previously, the council has declined to comment when asked if it would request a local lockdown from the Department for Health, with neighbours Cheshire West and Chester saying it had 'no plans' to do so.

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Cllr Clowes was full of praise for the government's tactics of only imposing local lockdowns, rather than implementing a UK-wide approach: "I think what the government is doing at the moment is making the best decisions it can with the data it has in the places affected.

"This is too serious not to take a sensible and pragmatic approach to it. If the government is turning round to places like Leicester, Bolton, parts of Wales, it clearly is based on what is a deteriorating situation in terms of rising infection rates.

"This is beyond politics and what's best at a local level."