THE rate of new coronavirus cases in Warrington continues to fall with a decision on which tier the town will be placed into imminent.

With the second Covid-19 lockdown in England due to end next week, the country is set to return to a strengthened version of the previous tiers system.

And it is expected that areas will learn today, Thursday, which category they will be placed into.

Warrington is likely to be in either tier two or three.

The latest available data from Public Health England showed that, in the seven days leading up to November 21, a total of 411 positive tests were recorded in the town.

This is a rate of 195.7 infections for every 100,000 residents - the 137th highest level nationally.

By comparison, in the same period before November 14 there were 603 confirmed cases – 287.1 per 100,000.

Across the country, 276 out of 315 areas recorded a fall in the number of new positive tests.

Warrington Hospital has now recorded 247 Covid-19 deaths, with 150 inpatients with the virus at the Lovely Lane site as of Wednesday afternoon – including 17 in intensive care.

Since the start of the pandemic, 823 coronavirus patients have been discharged from Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust after treatment.