THE number of recorded coronavirus cases in the borough has increased by 326 in the latest official daily figures released as Greater Manchester moves into Tier Three restrictions.

Public Health England figures show that 326 cases were confirmed in Wigan borough in the 24 hours up to Thursday, October 22. This indicates a consistency in the rise with recent days, with 315 cases on Wednesday.

The health body is now including Pillar Two tests – those carried out by in the wider community – alongside Pillar One tests, which are analysed in hospitals or laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

In the seven days days from October 10 to October 16, Wigan borough had 1,488 new cases identified, a rate of 452.7 per 100,000 and the second highest rate of new cases in Greater Manchester. This rate is higher than seen regionally (North West rate is 369.0 per 100,000) and nationally (England’s rate is 170.5 per 100,000).

Leigh and its surrounding areas, along with the whole of Greater Manchester, are to be placed under Tier Three restrictions following an intense political row with regional leaders which failed to see an agreement reached.

In the Wigan borough overall, 7,917 people have now been confirmed as testing positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

This means the overall rate of infection in the borough now stands at 2,409 cases per 100,000 people, higher than the England average of 1,221.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 21,238 over the 24-hour period, to 810,467.

​Wigan borough's cases were among the 172,229 recorded across the North West, a figure which rose by 4,531 over the period.

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