HALTON has seen 42 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the latest daily figures.

Public Health England figures show that 42 new cases have been confirmed in the borough for the 24 hours up to 9am on Friday, September 18.

The health body includes in the statistics Pillar two tests – those carried out in the wider community – alongside Pillar one tests, which are analysed in NHS Hospitals or PHE laboratories.

These latest figures have yet to be included in the borough's weekly rate of new infections.

The most recently available Public Health England data, for the seven day period leading up to September 14, showed 106 positive COVID-19 tests - a rate of 81.9 cases per 100,000 residents.

On Friday, it was confirmed that the borough has been put under new restrictions in a bid to halt the rising rates of infection seen in the area.

From Tuesday, September 22 regulations will ban the following:

  • People should not socialise with others from outside their household or support bubble inside a home or private garden.
  • Hospitality for food and drink will be by table service only.
  • Late night restrictions for hospitality will be introduced, with leisure and entertainment venues including restaurants, pubs, and cinemas required to close between 10pm and 5am.

New guidance also states that the use of public transport should be ‘for essential purposes only’, while there should be no spectators at amateur or semi-professional sports fixtures.

The latest figures mean that 958 people in the borough have been confirmed as testing positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. 

The total rate of infection in Halton since the start of the outbreak now stands at 740 cases per 100,000 people, higher than the England average of 592..

Cumulative counts include asympotmatic cases, patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.