THERE are signs the number of coronavirus cases in west Cheshire is on the decline once more.

Previous weeks had shown the number of new positive recorded cases in the area had flattened out.

Case figures published on the Government website for recent weeks have been revised upwards once all positive tests were accounted for.

Between July 15-21, there were 22 positive cases of Covid-19 recorded, the same number as there were recorded between July 22-28, while 23 cases were recorded between July 29 and August 4.

It can take several days for the correct number of positive coronavirus cases to be accounted for on a particular day on the Government's chart, as the recorded positive cases are identified by the day the specimen was taken.

But in an encouraging sign the number of new cases may be on the wane, only one day in the past seven has recorded any positive new coronavirus cases so far – four of them on August 10.

There have also been no days in August so far where there were more than five new cases recorded.

By comparison, in July, there were nine cases recorded on July 4; eight cases on July 8; 14 cases on July 9; seven cases on July 14; six cases on July 16, 24 and 27 and eight cases on July 31.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is now urging people to remain vigilant as people return to the workplace and to take care when travelling.

As part of the effort to contain the virus, more and more venues are taking people’s contact details to assist the NHS Test and Trace Service if necessary.

Council leader Cllr Louise Gittins is also reminding commuters from different households who share transport to be more Covid-conscious.

Cllr Gittins said: “The number of cases remains steady in our borough, but the virus has not gone away.

"With cases increasing in some areas of the North West and while we await the development of a vaccine, we must continue to be conscious of our actions during our daily life to stop the virus spreading.

“We want our local economy to return to some sense of normal but not at the expense of people’s health so, to strike a balance, it is important that everyone is cautious and one of the places where the virus can spread is in a vehicle shared by two or more people.

“We advise people against sharing a vehicle with those outside their household or support bubble.

“The Council’s ‘Walk. Ride. Thrive’ campaign encourages residents to choose active travel whenever possible: cycling and walking rather than using vehicles. This is just one of many actions we can take to play our part to save lives and save livelihoods.”

If you must share a car with people from another house:

  • share the transport with the same people each time
  • keep to small groups of people at any one time
  • open windows for ventilation
  • travel side by side or behind other people, rather than facing them
  • face away from each other
  • consider seating arrangements to increase distance between people in the vehicle
  • clean your car, especially areas people touch such as door handles, between journeys
  • ask the driver and passengers to wear a face covering.

The council will assist businesses to prevent and manage local outbreaks, should they occur.

  • Protect yourself and your family and friends by getting a coronavirus test if you feel ill or have symptoms (a high temperature, new, continuous cough, loss or change to your sense of smell or taste). To get tested, please call 119 or visit nhs.uk/coronavirus. Protect your community by then self-isolating for 10 days if you have symptoms or 14 days if alerted to do so by a contact tracer.