Staffordshire County Council has urged the Government not to place the area into Tier Two status for Coronavirus amid fears further restrictions would impact on the economy and residents' health.

Despite an increase in the rate of Covid-19 cases Staffordshire currently remains in Tier One – the medium level – of the Government's new alert system. Neighbouring areas such as Cheshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton have been placed in Tier Two, which is the high alert level.

There have been concerns however in recent days that stricter measures could be brought in for Staffordshire too if cases continue to rise. If it is moved up to Tier Two there would be further restrictions on residents such as a ban on separate households meeting indoors.

Staffordshire County Council's cabinet was given an update on the current situation.

The report said: "The number of new confirmed cases in Staffordshire has risen to around 120 a day. We are managing an increasing number of incidents related to care providers, educational settings, businesses and communities. Around 2,500 pupils are being educated remotely after cases of Covid-19 were identified at their schools.

"The number of cases is particularly high in Newcastle-under-Lyme, due in part to an outbreak at Keele University, as well as in Stafford, due in part to an outbreak at HMP Stafford, and in South Staffordshire. We continue to operate local contact tracing to maximise the number of cases and contacts isolated and to identify common exposures that need to be managed.

"National laboratory capacity has improved and the shortfall between demand and supply is not as marked as a month ago. Some people are still experiencing difficulties booking a test and we continue to offer community testing sites as a complement to the national NHS Test and Trace testing facilities."

Over the past six months most council meetings have moved online but cabinet members met in the main chamber at County Buildings for their October meeting.

Council leader Alan White told fellow cabinet members: "Cases of Covid are rising sharply across Staffordshire along with the rest of the country.

"Following intensive lobbying over the past two weeks the county remains in Tier One – the medium alert level. To keep Staffordshire open and schools and businesses open it is up to all of us to do our bit – wash your hands, wear a face covering, social distance.

"We have worked hard to increase the availability of testing across the county so that everyone with symptoms can book a test quickly. If you test positively you must self-isolate to stop the spread."

The county's Covid-19 Member-Led Local Outbreak Control Board, which involves borough and district authorities as well as the county council, is now meeting weekly.

Councillor White said: "I hope through this working we are able to limit the spread of the virus across the county and keep ourselves at the medium alert level rather than having to go to the high. If we do end up having to go to the high alert level then we will do our best to bring us back to the medium level as soon as possible.

"My principle concern as the leader of the county council is the impact on the economy, loneliness and isolation, mental health and physical health so it is vitally important we work hard to limit the spread."

Dr Johnny McMahon, cabinet member for health, care and wellbeing, thanked Councillor White and the council's director for health and care Dr Richard Harling for lobbying the Government to keep Staffordshire in Tier One.

"We will make every effort to remain in Tier One", he added. "Looking at what we've done over the past four months is a credit to the organisation; four million items of PPE (personal protective equipment) and the redeployment of staff which is still ongoing.

"The winter will be difficult – I don't think there's any way around that. We just have to keep the momentum up and keep spirits up, keep supporting each other and there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

"We will see ourselves through this."