THERE have been 133 cases of coronavirus confirmed in the latest official daily figures.

Public Health England figures show that there were 133 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the borough in the 24 hours leading up to 9am on Tuesday, October 27.

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

The borough has been averaging more than 100 positive cases per day over recent weeks, with the latest figures continuing the trend.

St Helens was placed under Tier 'very high alert' level measures earlier this month. The Government is expected to review the restrictions after 28 days, in mid-November.

According to St Helens Council's COVID-19 tracker, the latest published weekly rate of infection was 434.1 per 100,000 people, with 784 positive cases between October 14 and 20.

This does not take into account more recent days.

READ > Rise of lockdown 'starter pet' could lead to increase in neglect, warns RSPCA

In total since the start of the outbreak, 5,247 people had been confirmed as testing positive for COVID-19 in St Helens.

The overall rate of infection in St Helens since mid-March now stands at 2,906 cases per 100,000 people, more than double the England average of 1,382.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 22,885 over the 24-hour period, to 917,575.

​St Helens' cases were among the 195,127 recorded across the North West, a figure which rose by 5,322 over the period.

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