St Helens' Covid rate among the lowest in the country

Latest official figures, for the seven days to May 2, showed 15 cases had been recorded, at a rate of 8.3 per 100,000. That is down from 26 cases (14.4 per 100,000 a week earlier).

This is the 27th lowest rate in England for a local authority, which offers positive signs as the vaccine rollout continues and lockdown eases.

Neighbouring Knowsley's rate is 11.9 per 100,000 after 18 cases in seven days, down from 13.3, (20)

The figures are based on the number of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 in either a lab-reported or rapid lateral flow test, by specimen date.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 93 (30 per cent) have seen a rise in rates, 209 (66 per cent) have seen a fall and 13 are unchanged.

Hyndburn in Lancashire continues to have the highest rate, with 98 new cases in the seven days to May 2 – the equivalent of 120.9 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 71.6 in the seven days to April 25.

Bolton in Greater Manchester has the second highest rate, up from 48.0 to 85.2, with 245 new cases.

Erewash in Derbyshire has the third highest, up from 11.3 to 65.0, with 75 new cases.

Meanwhile, for St Helens and Knowsley the situation in local hospitals remains vastly improved from earlier in the year. There were two coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday, figures show.

St Helens during lockdown

The number of beds at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 decreased by 88 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days earlier, there were 17.

The figures also showed that five new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the week to April 25.

The Covid situation at Whiston Hospital is vastly improved

England’s deputy chief medical officer has suggested “we are at or close to the bottom” of levels of coronavirus cases in the UK as he hailed the public for sticking to lockdown measures.

Last week Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said the numbers of people testing positive for Covid-19 were “in very low levels” and comparable to September last year, adding that the number of people in hospital due to the virus is expected to drop further.

Looking ahead, he said vaccines could reduce a third wave of the virus, making it a “third upsurge” instead, but said it was “inconceivable” that there will not be further bumps in the road.

He added: “We are really in very low levels that are comparable to where we were in September last year.

“We are running as a typical seven-day average at just over 2,000 people testing positive per day.

“My sense is that probably we are at or close to the bottom at the moment in terms of this level of disease in the UK.”

Presenting data during the briefing, Prof Van-Tam added: “Most of the steady decline we have seen, the disappearance of our third wave, has been down to the efforts of the British people in following lockdown.

“The vaccine has undoubtedly helped in the later stages and there is good evidence that the death rate in the elderly has dropped faster than it has in the younger age groups and it has dropped faster than it did in the second wave, and that is undoubtedly a vaccine effect.

“What is important about these vaccines and the vaccine rollout is it really is the way out of getting into trouble of the same size and magnitude ever again, and that’s why it’s important that this job must get finished.”