COVID admissions are still surging at Whiston Hospital, as infection rates begin to fall across the region.

A desperate plea was made to the public last week, as it was revealed Whiston Hospital was treating more Covid patients than at any point in the pandemic.

As of last Wednesday, 168 inpatients were being treated for the effects of Covid-19 at the hospital, higher than the previous record of 153 in April.

Since them, admissions have continued to rise at an alarming pace, surpassing 22 by the end of the week.

As of Monday, 239 Covid-positive patients had been admitted into the hospital, according to a St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman.

The number of Covid patients in intensive care is also climbing.

Intensive care capacity has already been expanded to treat the increasing number of patients requiring the highest levels of care.

As Covid admissions continue to rise, infection rates have seen a sharp decline in recent days, with signs the national lockdown is now starting to take effect.

St Helens has bucked this trend, however, being the only area in the Liverpool City Region to see its infection rate rise in the seven days up to January 14.

During that period, the rate in St Helens rose from 804.8 to 828.1 per 100,000 population.

Knowsley’s rate decreased from 1,357.9 to 1,188.1, while the city region as a whole fell from 1,022.3 to 898.1.

The region’s vaccination efforts were also given a shot in the arm today following the opening of a regional mass vaccination centre at Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium.

The vaccination hub is being run by St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in conjunction with GP-led mass vaccination programme which is also at the ground.

While there is hope things will soon get better, St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has urged the public not to get “complacent”.

The falling infection rates will not be felt by the hospital for a number of weeks, while the impact of the vaccinations will take much longer.

It is instead once again down to the people of St Helens and the wider region to play their part to protect the NHS and their communities.

“We need our local community to help us stop this rapid rate of infection and we need them to be as safety conscious as they were in wave one,” said Prof Rowan Pritchard-Jones, St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s medical director.

“The Liverpool City Region has shown before that it can take on this virus and reduce the rates dramatically, and we need our population to do it again.

“Our staff have been under considerable pressure for the past 11 months, but they come into work each and every day, putting their own fears aside, to care for our patients with the same courage and compassion they have shown since March.

“They are everyday heroes and we need everyone to support them and get this virus under control. “