DEATHS from Covid-19 fell again in the region during the first full week of April, the tenth successive week to have seen a decline, with St Helens seeing no fatalities.

Just six people died of COVID-19 in the city region during the week up to April 9, down from eight in the previous week and less than one per cent of the deaths seen at the peak of the third wave in January.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday (April 20) show St Helens and Knowsley both among areas that recorded zero deaths from COVID-19 during the week.

READ > The latest Covid infection rate and vaccinations figures for St Helens

Half of the city region’s deaths that week came in Sefton, while two were recorded in care homes.

The ONS figures include all deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, meaning it was either the primary cause of death or a contributing factor.

These latest deaths bring the city region’s total death toll for the pandemic to 4,579, equivalent to 22% of all deaths since the pandemic started.

The deaths recorded in each borough during the week ending April 9 appear below, along with the total death toll for each borough in brackets:

St Helens – 0 (541)

Halton – 0 (302)

Knowsley – 0 (434)

Liverpool – 2 (1,414)

Sefton – 3 (899)

Wirral – 1 (989)

Cases of COVID-19 remain low in the region following the most recent lockdown and the continued rollout of the vaccine should mean deaths continue to decrease in the coming weeks.

However, it remains to be seen what impact the most recent relaxation of lockdown restrictions will have on cases in the region.

Local public health chiefs will hope the fact more than half of the region’s population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 will limit the spread of the virus and mean far fewer people end up in hospital.