ST HELENS has replaced Knowsley as the North West’s Covid-19 hotspot, despite Covid-19’s grip on the borough weakening.

Infection rates have been falling across the Liverpool City Region from several weeks after rocketing just after Christmas.

However, they have not fallen as rapidly as seen elsewhere, particularly St Helens and Knowsley, which are still among the highest in England.

In the seven days up to February 3, St Helens recorded 717 cases of Covid-19, equating to an infection rate of 397.0 per 100,000 people.

This was down from 969 cases the week earlier, equating 536.6 cases per 100,000 population.

That means St Helens’ infection rate was the highest in the North West and fourth highest in England during this period.

For several weeks, Knowsley has had the highest infection rate in the country – peaking at 1,359.2 cases per 100,000 people in the first week of January.

But in the week up to February 3, Knowsley’s seven-day infection rate dropped to 390.4 per 100,000 population, down from 660.9 the previous week.

During that time 589 cases were recorded in Knowsley, down from 997.

While St Helens and Knowsley’s infection rates are much lower now than they were this time last month, they remain dangerously high.

For context, when the Liverpool City Region became the first area in the UK to enter Tier 3 last October, St Helens had a weekly infection rate of 116.1 per 100,000 population.

A big factor in the government taking that decision was the high rate of Covid admissions being seen in the region’s hospitals, particularly in Liverpool.

Following a monumental effort from the public, the region was able to turn the situation around before case numbers exploded in January, driven by the new, more infectious variant and households mixing over Christmas.

Hospitals across the region have been dealing with the fallout of this ever since, with Whiston Hospital seeing record levels of Covid patients.

Towards the end of January, Whiston Hospital was on course to surpass 300 Covid inpatients, although it never hit that grim milestone.

On Friday, that figure had fallen to 242. As of Monday morning, it stood at 245.

The number of deaths seen in recent weeks has also remained high.

NHS England figures today show that 581 people had died in hospital at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as of 5pm on Sunday.

That was an increase of two compared to Friday, when there were 579.

A number of deaths have also been linked to Covid-19 in the borough’s care homes, which have been trying to contain the spread in recent weeks.

According to data from St Helens Borough Council, two care home deaths were suspected of being related to Covid-19, in the week ending January 5.

The previous week, four deaths were linked to the virus.

In the seven days up to January 5, a total of 162 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the borough’s care sector, a rise from 151 the previous week.

Positive or suspected cases were reported in 15 homes, which remained unchanged on the week prior.

It also confirmed last week that Public Health England were investigating a new variant of Covid-19 that had been found across Merseyside, including in St Helens.

The mutation was linked to a cluster of cases found in Liverpool Women’s Hospital in January, and is different to the South African variant, which has also been identified in Southport.

In response, Sue Forster, St Helens Borough Council’s director of public health, said if people stick the rules, infection rates will fall regardless of any mutation.

Ms Forster said: “St Helens currently has one of the highest coronavirus rates in the country, so we must continue to be vigilant and continue to wash our hands, cover our faces and make space.

“It’s crucial to self-isolate if you are instructed to by NHS Test and Trace, the Covid-19 app, your workplace or school.

“It will break the link in the chain – stopping the spread of coronavirus, protecting our NHS, and saving lives.

“The vaccine rollout is going tremendously well, but the vaccine doesn’t stop the virus from spreading, and many people show no symptoms so can be passing it on without knowing.”

Ms Forster urged anyone who is feeling any symptoms, no matter how mild, to get a Covid-19 test, even if they are not showing the classic symptoms of a high temperature, a persistent cough or a loss of smell or taste.

Other symptoms have been reported by people who have tested positive, such as a persistent headache, diarrhoea, fever and chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, sore throat, congestion or runny nose and nausea or vomiting.

If you do feel unwell, even if your symptoms are mild, book a traditional PCR test online.

You must not attend any of the borough’s symptom-free mass testing sites if you are feeling unwell.

You can book a free PCR test by calling 119 or book online at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

Alternatively a test can be booked through the government’s NHS Covid app.