According to new data from Public Health England, six out of the top ten places for the biggest week-on-week rise in rates per 100,000 population in the whole country are in the LCR for the week ending January 7.
The top four of the top ten places are:
1. Knowsley (up from 537.6 to 1,341.0 which is a 149% jump)
2. Halton (up from 639.8 to 1,227.1, which is a 92% jump)
3. Liverpool (up from 461.2 to 988.5, which is a 114% jump)
4. Sefton (up from 495.3 to 1,018.4, which is a 106% jump).
While St Helens (up from 371.0 to 797.4, which is 115% jump) is currently sixth in the top ten, and Wirral (up from 560.8 to 921.3, which is 64% jump) is eighth.
Rates in London – where a Covid-19 emergency was declared on Friday because the capital’s hospitals is struggling with patient numbers – have gone down for the first time since the end of November. The London rate is 996.3 which is 0.5 per cent down week-on-week.
In terms of the highest infection rate in the country, Knowsley is currently ranked fourth overall in the country.
The fact that areas in the LCR have the fastest rising rates is worrying and a Merseyside public health official and senior politician have spoken of their serious concerns for the weeks and months ahead.
Origonal post by Mark Johnston for the liverpool Echo