Latest local Covid-19 data shows there have been 361 positive cases per 100,000 in Cheshire East in the week up to 15 September, which is significantly above the average for England of 303 per 100,000 of population.
Set against this backdrop of high local cases, the council is advising residents to follow the latest advice from Public Health England to get vaccinated, to get tested regularly and to wear a mask in busy or crowded places such as supermarkets and public transport.
Councillor Jill Rhodes, Cheshire East Council adults and health committee chair, said: "Unfortunately we are still seeing to a worrying level of positive case numbers.
"The public has been asked to take personal responsibility for wearing a mask, but we would ask them to continue to wear them, especially in shops and enclosed spaces.
"It is in all our hands now to keep life moving and play a positive part in containing the spread of the virus.'
Professor Rod Thomson, public health consultant at Cheshire East Council, said: "With a significant number of positive cases now, it's vital residents continue to take precautions and remain Covid-aware.
"Just as Covid-19 cases are still higher than we would like, public face covering wearing seems to be significantly down.
"Covid cases are rising not only among the young, 35 per cent of all cases are in the 10-19 age group, but we are also seeing a strong rise in over-40's cases too, which in turn affects hospitalisation rates, which have also increased.
"The best advice then remains to get fully vaccinated as soon as you can as this not only protects yourself but also diminishes the virus's ability to spread. This is especially important for vulnerable people who are to be offered a Covid-19 booster vaccine (from 6 months after their second doses)."
The booster vaccination programme will be rolled out to the same priority groups as previously. This means care home residents, health and social care workers, people aged over 50, those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe Covid-19, adult carers, and adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals will be prioritised.
Professor Thomson continues to say: "If you have Covid-19 symptoms, then self-isolate immediately and book a PCR test. If you have no symptoms, please continue to test regularly with rapid Lateral Flow Tests which are available for free at local test sites or can be delivered direct to your home.
"We would also strongly advise people to do the things we already know help stop the spread of the virus. This means if you test positive, you won't be able to enjoy all those things we have all missed doing such as joining in with family celebrations, going on holiday, or going to sporting or music events."
For full information on where to get tested or pick up home testing kits visit: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/covid-testing or to order them to be delivered to your home visit www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
My husband and son had Covid recently and neither had nothing more than a bad cold. One has been jabbed and the other hasn’t.
The vaccine is doing what it is designed to do at the moment but I do worry that it’s effects will soon weaken for those early jabbed folk
Time to just live with it now imo
Hardly irrelevant. Hospital cases are rising and some of those cases are double-jabbed, which is bad news for those individuals and also for the underfunded and increasingly stretched NHS. There have also been deaths among the double-jabbed.
Getting vaccinated is a 'must' as it limits spread of the virus and confers considerable protection from serious illness, hospitalisation, and death. But it isn't 100% effective hence the hospitalisations and deaths among a relatively small number who are double-jabbed.
We are also seeing over time (just a few months) a falling-off of the very real protection that vaccination offers, hence the plan for autumn booster jabs.
Longer term.... Who knows?
474 cases per 100,000 in the latest week 10 July to 16 July
Why is the above rate worrying then?
1 - The continued refusals of a small percentage of people eligible for vaccinations to have them despite the pleadings of the NHS community - it should be compulsory.
2 - The failure of this popularity seeking Prime Minister to continue to enforce compulsory wearing of face masks in all places where the population is able to mix freely.
Ask any health professional - hospitals and GPs' surgeries still enforce this and supermarkets ask you very strongly to wear masks, yet people of all ages just don't comply.
Some of us have had to 'shield' and still remain extremely cautious for nearly 18 months.
And as Vince says above it does limit the virus and confers considerable protection against becoming seriously ill. Even being double jabbed is unfortunately not the silver bullet but does reduce your chances of dying or having long term complications.
The need to protect people who are vulnerable of all ages is still here. When you get a thirteen day old baby who died a while back who had no underlying health conditions, and children who have died under the age of twenty then it is clear nobody is safe young or old.
I am amazed going around shops when you see some senior citizens not wearing a mask, but if people young or old want to play russian roulette with their own lives then good luck to them.
I do have quite an annoyance with supermarkets in that on entering you are hit with many signs saying 'Please wear a mask to protect our staff and customers', yet the other day I could not see one member of staff (young or old) packing shelves actually wearing a mask to protect us?