THE number of recorded coronavirus cases in the borough increased by 101 in the latest daily statistics, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 101 cases were confirmed in St Helens in the 24 hours up to 9am on Wednesday, October 14.

This compares with 140 cases in Tuesday’s figures. Meanwhile, there were 327 cases across Saturday, Sunday and Monday’s numbers.

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

This week, St Helens was placed under Tier Three ‘very high alert’ level restrictions.

These include for people not to socialise with anybody they do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting or in any private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events; not to socialise in a group of more than six in an outdoor public space and pubs and bars can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant.

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There have been 3,714 positive cases in St Helens since the start of the outbreak in mid-March.

This means the overall rate of infection in the borough now stands at 2,057 cases per 100,000 people, higher than the England average of 989.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 19,724 over the 24-hour period, to 654,644.

The borough’s cases were among the 136,060 recorded across the North West, a figure which rose by 3,732 over the period.

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