COVID-19 cases are on the rise in schoolchildren, however, it is worth reminding that vaccines are only being given to those who are aged 12 and over.

While figures have started to rise again among kids in Cheshire East, the numbers are significantly lower than a few weeks ago, during the peak of the Omicron wave.

Chehsire East Director of Public Health Dr. Matt Tyrer told Tuesday's meeting of Cheshire East's health and wellbeing board: "With Omicron we saw the highest rates in Cheshire East that we had seen for the entirety of the pandemic.

"I think we peaked just before 2,000 per 100,000 and we have fallen quite sharply in the last couple of weeks of January but that has now stalled.

"So we fell from near 2,000 per 100,000 to just into the high 990s just before this weekend and we are now around 1,013 per 100,000.

"The older age groups are continuing to fall but we are once again starting to see a rise in both primary and younger secondary aged children, so that's the five to nine age groups and the 10 to 14 age groups."

Dr Tyrer encouraged people who weren't yet fully vaccinated to get the jabs.

"Getting that booster is absolutely the best thing to do especially as we move towards a reduction in some of those restrictions that have been in place for such a long time," he said.

"That being said people can continue to protect themselves, particularly if we are in the position of seeing rising cases again, by continuing to wear masks should they choose to in public settings, maintaining really good hand hygiene and keeping a distance from people where it is possible and safe to do so."

He said as the situation alters over the next few weeks in terms of changes in national policy, 'we will look at how we work in order to continue to keep people as safe as possible'.

"That may mean that, as the testing landscape changes, our focus shifts towards protecting those who are most vulnerable in our communities, rather than a more universal approach that we have been taking."

As of January 30 2022, 84.2% of Central Macclesfield residents aged 12 or over have had at least one coronavirus vaccine.

1. 2% have had two jabs, meanwhile 61.7% have had a booster dose.

Central Macclesfield had 85 cases as of January 26 2022, according to the latest GOV.UK data, down 34 from the previous week.

Between 25 January 2022 and 31 January 2022, there have been 15 Cheshire East deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test. This shows a decrease of -31.8% compared to the previous seven days.

You can book your coronavirus vaccine in Macclesfield here.

See also: Nub News is hiring a journalist in Crewe

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