THE number of confirmed coronavirus cases in St Helens has reached 750, an increase of three on the previous day.

Public Health England figures show that 750 people had been confirmed as testing positive for COVID-19 by 9am Monday morning (May 25) in St Helens.

The figure was 747 on Sunday and 743 the same time on Friday.

A week before, there were 730 cases as the cumulative weekly number does appear to be slowing.

It means cases increased by just less than one per cent of the total over the Bank Holiday Weekend, lower than the rate of increase across the UK of three per cent.

However, health leaders did warn last week that the Merseyside area is still not coming down the other side of the epidemic curve as fast as other regions in England.

They were among the 25,011 cases recorded across the North West, a figure which rose by 489 over the period.

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

Across the UK, 261,184 people had tested positive for coronavirus as of 9am on Monday, up from 254,195 at the same point on Friday, Department of Health and Social Care figures show. As of 5pm on Sunday, 36,914 people had died.