St Helens people urged to do all they can to reduce spread of coronavirus amid rise in hospital admissions

Cases of Covid-19 continue to rise locally, say public health leaders at St Helens Borough Council.

St Helens and the other areas classed as being in the Liverpool City Region remain under Tier 3 'very high alert' restrictions due to the situation.

In a statement the council spelled out the level of concern over hospital admissions.

Figures also show there have also been 800 new cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in a week across the borough.

The council also stressed the impact infection rates are having on schools, with 91 school children in St Helens having been confirmed with Covid-19 in the week up to October 15.

As of Friday, a further 2,601 children were isolating as a result of coming into contact with someone with Covid-19 and 17 schools were affected by staff absences due to confirmed cases or having to isolate.

Why are public health leaders so concerned?

In a statement the council said: "Latest data shows that the number of hospital inpatients in Liverpool City region who are positive for Covid-19, has almost tripled over the last fortnight.

"This means that the total number of inpatients with coronavirus is now becoming close to the highest numbers we saw in April, (currently figures are at 71per cent of the peak demand).

"The number of patients with coronavirus who are in intensive care in the region has also increased significantly (rising by 69% over the last fortnight).

"The dramatic increase shows the impact of continued high rates of infection across the region is now translating to critically ill people being admitted to hospital putting pressure on hospitals.

"Currently (as of Friday) there are more patients with coronavirus in hospitals in Liverpool City Region than there are in Greater Manchester, despite the area having 40% fewer beds.

"Figures also show comparisons between the infection rate across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) compared to the Greater Manchester area over the week to October 12, with the 7-day rate of infection for the LCR at 507 per 100,000 people to Greater Manchester’s 377 per 100,000 people.

"Age is a key risk factor for Coronavirus, with increasing age linked to higher risk of severe disease.

"For the week to the October 9 the 7-day rate of infection for those aged 60 years and over was 67per cent greater in the LCR than in Greater Manchester (412.8 and 246.7 per 100,000 respectively)."

'We have to focus on what we all can do to stop the transmission'

Councillor David Baines, leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “These figures speak for themselves; Covid-19 is having a huge effect on our borough and wider region.

"From hospitals seeing a surge in demand due to cases, children having to isolate from school and our care sector seeing more of those vital care workers having to isolate as a result of symptoms and cases.

"The most important part is that we have to do all we can to protect the most vulnerable to this virus, one death to Covid-19 is a tragedy and we want to stop more families suffering heartbreak at the hands of this infectious disease.

"We have to focus on what we all can do to stop the transmission. Wearing a mask, washing your hands, keeping 2 metres apart and reducing your contacts.

“We know the last six months have been difficult for many, but we have to pull together again, like we did at the start of this outbreak and work as one to look out for each other.

"If we don’t, I fear these alarming figures will only continue to rise and sadly more families will have to deal with the heartbreak of losing a loved one.”

What does the latest weekly infection data show?

Friday’s update of the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for every local authority area in England, showed the severity of the picture across the region – with infections in Knowsley and St Helens continuing to grow.

The figures, for the seven days to October 12, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

St Helens rate rose from 360.5 to 443.0, with 800 new cases in a week compared to 651 in the previous seven days.

Knowsley has the second highest rate, up from 615.8 to 716.5, with 1,081 new cases.

Liverpool is in third place, where the rate has risen from 603.4 to 680.5, with 3,389 new cases.

The rate in Manchester has dropped from 556.0 to 460.0, with 2,543 new cases recorded.

Other areas recording big jumps in their seven-day rates include Burnley (up from 447.6 to 584.8, with 520 new cases); Pendle (up from 323.5 to 490.7, with 452 new cases); Blackburn with Darwen (up from 293.9 to 459.6, with 688 new cases); and Gedling (up from 159.5 to 353.7, with 417 new cases).

The list has been calculated by the PA news agency and is based on Public Health England data published on October 16 on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

Here is the list in full. From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to October 12; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to October 12; rate of new cases in the seven days to October 5; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to October 5.

Nottingham 884.7 (2945), 733.3 (2441)

Knowsley 716.5 (1081), 615.8 (929)

Liverpool 680.5 (3389), 603.4 (3005)

Burnley 584.8 (520), 447.6 (398)

Pendle 490.7 (452), 323.5 (298)

West Lancashire 486.4 (556), 348.2 (398)

Sefton 483.3 (1336), 393.3 (1087)

Manchester 460.0 (2543), 556.0 (3074)

Blackburn with Darwen 459.6 (688), 293.9 (440)

Sheffield 445.6 (2606), 421.8 (2467)

Newcastle upon Tyne 443.2 (1342), 507.9 (1538)

St Helens 443.0 (800), 360.5 (651)

Rochdale 432.1 (961), 370.9 (825)

Wigan 422.3 (1388), 304.6 (1001)

Salford 402.2 (1041), 343.1 (888)

Bury 395.8 (756), 317.3 (606)

Leeds 395.8 (3139), 400.7 (3178)

Halton 395.6 (512), 361.6 (468)

Oldham 384.2 (911), 332.8 (789)

Preston 368.9 (528), 331.9 (475)

Rossendale 360.9 (258), 277.0 (198)

Gedling 353.7 (417), 159.5 (188)

Warrington 349.0 (733), 284.7 (598)

Bolton 348.8 (1003), 274.7 (790)

Bradford 347.7 (1877), 293.5 (1584)

County Durham 340.9 (1807), 229.8 (1218)

Hyndburn 335.6 (272), 314.6 (255)

Rushcliffe 335.6 (400), 226.5 (270)

Sunderland 334.9 (930), 299.2 (831)

Lancaster 328.0 (479), 199.3 (291)

Stockton-on-Tees 327.3 (646), 266.0 (525)

Trafford 326.1 (774), 310.5 (737)

Tameside 325.4 (737), 267.1 (605)

Barnsley 322.4 (796), 165.3 (408)

Exeter 317.3 (417), 424.6 (558)

Broxtowe 312.2 (356), 233.3 (266)

Hartlepool 309.6 (290), 261.6 (245)

Wirral 308.3 (999), 267.9 (868)

Rotherham 295.0 (783), 221.9 (589)

Blackpool 294.7 (411), 195.8 (273)

Middlesbrough 290.8 (410), 252.5 (356)

Ribble Valley 289.1 (176), 251.3 (153)

South Ribble 286.1 (317), 225.7 (250)

Barrow-in-Furness 284.9 (191), 232.7 (156)

Stockport 282.9 (830), 255.6 (750)

York 276.3 (582), 206.5 (435)

Charnwood 261.5 (486), 116.8 (217)

Kirklees 255.1 (1122), 207.8 (914)

Wakefield 251.5 (876), 175.4 (611)

Chorley 251.2 (297), 193.7 (229)

Gateshead 250.9 (507), 256.9 (519)

North Tyneside 245.3 (510), 237.6 (494)

South Tyneside 245.1 (370), 274.2 (414)

Calderdale 241.7 (511), 192.5 (407)

High Peak 228.8 (212), 131.7 (122)

Doncaster 226.0 (705), 154.9 (483)

Oadby and Wigston 222.7 (127), 166.6 (95)

Wyre 220.4 (247), 148.1 (166)

Fylde 214.2 (173), 174.5 (141)

Redcar and Cleveland 210.7 (289), 179.4 (246)

Darlington 206.9 (221), 176.0 (188)

Cheshire West and Chester 195.0 (669), 158.0 (542)

Leicester 194.2 (688), 147.9 (524)

Birmingham 192.2 (2194), 168.4 (1923)

Newark and Sherwood 186.2 (228), 183.0 (224)

Erewash 184.6 (213), 117.9 (136)

North East Lincolnshire 175.5 (280), 85.2 (136)

Cheshire East 175.2 (673), 146.6 (563)

Coventry 170.6 (634), 112.2 (417)

Northumberland 170.6 (550), 183.3 (591)

Solihull 168.2 (364), 133.6 (289)

Bristol 168.1 (779), 72.1 (334)

Walsall 167.8 (479), 134.9 (385)

North East Derbyshire 167.6 (170), 148.8 (151)

Ashfield 166.5 (213), 105.5 (135)

Selby 162.2 (147), 99.3 (90)

Harrogate 159.2 (256), 133.7 (215)

Stafford 158.8 (218), 124.6 (171)

Blaby 158.6 (161), 106.4 (108)

Sandwell 157.7 (518), 120.9 (397)

North Lincolnshire 154.4 (266), 114.3 (197)

Craven 148.8 (85), 173.3 (99)

Mansfield 147.3 (161), 73.2 (80)

South Staffordshire 146.8 (165), 94.3 (106)

Derby 145.7 (375), 87.4 (225)

Wolverhampton 145.4 (383), 82.8 (218)

Newcastle-under-Lyme 142.1 (184), 127.5 (165)

Richmond upon Thames 141.4 (280), 125.7 (249)

Bromsgrove 141.2 (141), 121.1 (121)

Hambleton 140.8 (129), 109.2 (100)

Chesterfield 140.1 (147), 103.9 (109)

West Lindsey 138.0 (132), 108.7 (104)

Redbridge 137.3 (419), 116.6 (356)

Oxford 137.1 (209), 124.0 (189)

Ealing 136.6 (467), 110.3 (377)

East Riding of Yorkshire 136.6 (466), 114.3 (390)

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 135.3 (535), 81.2 (321)

Hackney and City of London 131.3 (382), 114.5 (333)

Bolsover 129.1 (104), 86.9 (70)

Eden 127.7 (68), 33.8 (18)

Elmbridge 127.2 (174), 125.0 (171)

South Bucks 125.6 (88), 75.7 (53)

Rutland 125.2 (50), 95.2 (38)

Northampton 123.8 (278), 71.2 (160)

South Lakeland 123.7 (130), 132.3 (139)

Windsor and Maidenhead 123.5 (187), 90.5 (137)

Bath and North East Somerset 122.1 (236), 73.0 (141)

Stoke-on-Trent 122.1 (313), 70.6 (181)

Warwick 121.0 (174), 67.5 (97)

Hammersmith and Fulham 121.0 (224), 79.4 (147)

Wellingborough 120.4 (96), 56.5 (45)

Haringey 120.2 (323), 91.6 (246)

North West Leicestershire 118.7 (123), 75.3 (78)

South Kesteven 118.0 (168), 96.9 (138)

Amber Valley 117.1 (150), 88.2 (113)

East Staffordshire 116.9 (140), 64.3 (77)

Tamworth 116.0 (89), 71.7 (55)

Bassetlaw 115.8 (136), 92.8 (109)

Hertsmere 114.4 (120), 121.0 (127)

Lincoln 113.8 (113), 98.7 (98)

Harrow 113.5 (285), 104.7 (263)

Hinckley and Bosworth 112.3 (127), 89.3 (101)

Hull 110.9 (288), 102.8 (267)

Staffordshire Moorlands 110.7 (109), 77.2 (76)

Three Rivers 110.4 (103), 88.9 (83)

South Derbyshire 110.0 (118), 69.9 (75)

Barnet 109.9 (435), 97.3 (385)

Dudley 108.5 (349), 81.5 (262)

Scarborough 108.5 (118), 98.4 (107)

Portsmouth 108.4 (233), 55.4 (119)

Chiltern 108.4 (104), 71.9 (69)

Rugby 108.3 (118), 90.0 (98)

Cannock Chase 108.2 (109), 79.4 (80)

Redditch 107.9 (92), 51.6 (44)

Carlisle 107.7 (117), 55.2 (60)

Camden 107.4 (290), 68.1 (184)

Luton 107.0 (228), 67.1 (143)

Ryedale 106.5 (59), 104.7 (58)

Derbyshire Dales 106.5 (77), 77.4 (56)

Newham 106.2 (375), 80.4 (284)

Richmondshire 106.1 (57), 113.5 (61)

Hounslow 106.1 (288), 90.2 (245)

Hillingdon 104.6 (321), 83.4 (256)

Barking and Dagenham 104.3 (222), 66.2 (141)

Watford 103.5 (100), 81.8 (79)

East Hertfordshire 102.8 (154), 91.5 (137)

Wandsworth 102.8 (339), 80.7 (266)

Cambridge 102.6 (128), 47.3 (59)

Tower Hamlets 101.9 (331), 91.1 (296)

Havering 101.3 (263), 69.0 (179)

Harborough 101.3 (95), 111.9 (105)

Tendring 98.3 (144), 56.6 (83)

Kingston upon Thames 98.0 (174), 78.3 (139)

Slough 97.6 (146), 92.3 (138)

Waverley 97.4 (123), 76.0 (96)

South Northamptonshire 97.4 (92), 49.7 (47)

Waltham Forest 96.4 (267), 85.9 (238)

Enfield 95.9 (320), 76.1 (254)

Kensington and Chelsea 95.4 (149), 89.7 (140)

Islington 95.3 (231), 77.5 (188)

Wyre Forest 93.8 (95), 89.8 (91)

Melton 93.7 (48), 101.5 (52)

Telford and Wrekin 93.4 (168), 58.4 (105)

Lambeth 93.2 (304), 84.3 (275)

Shropshire 93.1 (301), 60.7 (196)

Daventry 93.1 (80), 69.8 (60)

Broxbourne 92.5 (90), 59.6 (58)

Cotswold 91.3 (82), 43.4 (39)

East Northamptonshire 91.0 (86), 85.7 (81)

Brent 90.4 (298), 87.0 (287)

South Gloucestershire 90.1 (257), 59.3 (169)

North Kesteven 89.8 (105), 59.0 (69)

Mole Valley 89.4 (78), 74.5 (65)

Dacorum 89.2 (138), 64.0 (99)

Westminster 89.2 (233), 75.0 (196)

Nuneaton and Bedworth 88.5 (115), 70.1 (91)

Norwich 88.2 (124), 56.9 (80)

Basildon 88.1 (165), 70.5 (132)

Copeland 88.0 (60), 63.1 (43)

Lichfield 87.8 (92), 84.0 (88)

Peterborough 87.5 (177), 67.2 (136)

Epping Forest 87.3 (115), 77.5 (102)

Corby 87.2 (63), 47.1 (34)

North Warwickshire 85.8 (56), 67.4 (44)

Cherwell 85.7 (129), 60.5 (91)

Stratford-on-Avon 85.3 (111), 93.8 (122)

Guildford 85.2 (127), 73.2 (109)

Test Valley 84.0 (106), 49.9 (63)

Surrey Heath 84.0 (75), 68.3 (61)

Uttlesford 83.3 (76), 73.4 (67)

Brighton and Hove 82.5 (240), 69.1 (201)

Sutton 81.9 (169), 42.6 (88)

Epsom and Ewell 81.9 (66), 71.9 (58)

Boston 81.2 (57), 37.1 (26)

Lewisham 80.1 (245), 65.1 (199)

Worcester 80.0 (81), 75.1 (76)

Bedford 79.6 (138), 79.6 (138)

Wycombe 79.6 (139), 57.3 (100)

Kettering 79.6 (81), 71.7 (73)

Wychavon 79.6 (103), 58.7 (76)

Merton 78.9 (163), 53.3 (110)

St Albans 77.5 (115), 82.2 (122)

Southwark 76.8 (245), 64.0 (204)

Greenwich 76.8 (221), 55.9 (161)

Swale 76.6 (115), 39.3 (59)

Woking 76.4 (77), 81.4 (82)

East Lindsey 76.2 (108), 33.2 (47)

Winchester 76.1 (95), 50.5 (63)

Brentwood 75.3 (58), 87.0 (67)

Rushmoor 75.1 (71), 63.4 (60)

Reading 74.2 (120), 48.8 (79)

Castle Point 74.1 (67), 55.3 (50)

Bromley 73.7 (245), 60.2 (200)

Croydon 73.7 (285), 70.9 (274)

Thurrock 73.4 (128), 49.9 (87)

South Cambridgeshire 72.9 (116), 60.3 (96)

Chelmsford 72.9 (130), 51.6 (92)

Runnymede 72.7 (65), 63.7 (57)

Torbay 72.7 (99), 57.2 (78)

Cheltenham 71.4 (83), 49.0 (57)

Gloucester 71.2 (92), 50.3 (65)

Malvern Hills 71.2 (56), 71.2 (56)

Welwyn Hatfield 70.7 (87), 55.3 (68)

West Oxfordshire 67.8 (75), 42.5 (47)

Allerdale 66.5 (65), 76.7 (75)

Plymouth 66.4 (174), 42.0 (110)

Rochford 66.4 (58), 21.7 (19)

Wealden 66.3 (107), 33.4 (54)

Vale of White Horse 66.2 (90), 55.1 (75)

Reigate and Banstead 65.9 (98), 41.7 (62)

Aylesbury Vale 65.7 (131), 41.1 (82)

Bexley 65.6 (163), 60.8 (151)

Harlow 65.5 (57), 40.2 (35)

Sevenoaks 65.4 (79), 66.3 (80)

Babergh 65.2 (60), 35.9 (33)

Milton Keynes 64.2 (173), 49.4 (133)

East Hampshire 63.8 (78), 49.1 (60)

East Cambridgeshire 63.4 (57), 32.3 (29)

Colchester 62.7 (122), 42.1 (82)

Teignbridge 62.6 (84), 46.2 (62)

Dorset 61.8 (234), 29.3 (111)

Wokingham 61.4 (105), 44.4 (76)

Tunbridge Wells 60.6 (72), 63.2 (75)

South Oxfordshire 59.8 (85), 60.5 (86)

Southampton 59.8 (151), 42.4 (107)

Huntingdonshire 57.9 (103), 48.9 (87)

Hart 57.7 (56), 52.5 (51)

Somerset West and Taunton 57.4 (89), 41.9 (65)

Spelthorne 57.1 (57), 76.1 (76)

Chichester 57.0 (69), 26.4 (32)

Bracknell Forest 56.3 (69), 48.1 (59)

North Hertfordshire 56.2 (75), 62.9 (84)

Horsham 55.6 (80), 51.5 (74)

North Somerset 54.4 (117), 44.6 (96)

Wiltshire 54.4 (272), 35.0 (175)

Basingstoke and Deane 54.4 (96), 32.3 (57)

Great Yarmouth 54.4 (54), 83.6 (83)

New Forest 53.3 (96), 31.7 (57)

Mid Sussex 53.0 (80), 38.4 (58)

Maldon 52.4 (34), 29.3 (19)

Central Bedfordshire 52.0 (150), 39.1 (113)

Tandridge 51.1 (45), 51.1 (45)

East Devon 50.6 (74), 45.8 (67)

Tonbridge and Malling 49.9 (66), 39.3 (52)

Gravesham 49.6 (53), 50.5 (54)

North Devon 49.4 (48), 38.1 (37)

Stroud 49.2 (59), 30.0 (36)

West Suffolk 48.6 (87), 42.4 (76)

Crawley 48.0 (54), 36.5 (41)

Eastleigh 47.9 (64), 37.4 (50)

South Holland 47.4 (45), 37.9 (36)

Mid Suffolk 47.2 (49), 30.8 (32)

Southend-on-Sea 47.0 (86), 48.6 (89)

Canterbury 46.6 (77), 42.3 (70)

Forest of Dean 46.1 (40), 42.6 (37)

Maidstone 46.0 (79), 34.3 (59)

South Hams 46.0 (40), 20.7 (18)

Ipswich 45.3 (62), 25.6 (35)

Mid Devon 45.0 (37), 27.9 (23)

Braintree 43.9 (67), 38.7 (59)

Dartford 43.5 (49), 39.1 (44)

Tewkesbury 43.1 (41), 43.1 (41)

West Devon 43.0 (24), 37.6 (21)

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk 42.9 (65), 35.7 (54)

West Berkshire 42.9 (68), 47.3 (75)

Swindon 42.3 (94), 33.3 (74)

East Suffolk 42.1 (105), 36.1 (90)

Lewes 41.6 (43), 32.9 (34)

Stevenage 39.8 (35), 31.9 (28)

Dover 39.8 (47), 30.5 (36)

Fareham 39.6 (46), 17.2 (20)

Medway 39.5 (110), 32.7 (91)

Breckland 39.3 (55), 35.0 (49)

Ashford 39.2 (51), 30.0 (39)

South Norfolk 39.0 (55), 34.1 (48)

Hastings 38.9 (36), 44.2 (41)

Herefordshire 38.4 (74), 24.4 (47)

Havant 37.2 (47), 26.1 (33)

Sedgemoor 36.5 (45), 26.8 (33)

North Norfolk 35.3 (37), 18.1 (19)

Fenland 34.4 (35), 49.1 (50)

Torridge 33.7 (23), 20.5 (14)

Broadland 33.6 (44), 28.3 (37)

Gosport 33.0 (28), 15.3 (13)

Mendip 32.9 (38), 35.5 (41)

Thanet 31.7 (45), 28.9 (41)

South Somerset 31.5 (53), 28.5 (48)

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 30.3 (173), 30.3 (173)

Rother 28.1 (27), 27.1 (26)

Adur 28.0 (18), 29.5 (19)

Worthing 26.2 (29), 27.1 (30)

Arun 23.0 (37), 27.4 (44)

Eastbourne 21.2 (22), 41.4 (43)

Isle of Wight 21.2 (30), 12.7 (18)

Folkestone and Hythe 14.2 (16), 20.4 (23)