The number of covid patients in Wirral’s hospitals almost halved this week as the borough continues to get on top of the pandemic.
In the very latest figures, which cover March 16, 11 people in Wirral’s hospitals were being treated for the virus, down from 21 seven days previously.
On March 14 the figure dropped even lower, to just nine, but has risen by two since then.
These numbers represent huge progress.
On January 22 there were 279 people being treated for the virus in Wirral’s hospitals, a huge number.
But now, figures are as low as they have been since early September last year.
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Looking at covid-19 cases in Wirral, the picture is also positive.
In the week up to March 15, there were 104 cases at a rate of 32 per 100,000, that is down from 151 cases at 47 per 100,000 registered the week before.
In a ward-by-ward breakdown of cases, which covers the week up to March 12, Bebington recorded more covid infections than any other Wirral area, but cases were down across much of the borough.
In the seven day period, Bebington registered 13 cases, up from six last week.
Other wards near the top of the borough’s cases list included Bromborough, and Bidston and St James, which both recorded 11 infections.
Four wards, Pensby and Thingwall, Liscard, Claughton, and Birkenhead and Tranmere, had 10 covid infections in the same period.
These numbers are much lower than those recorded in early January, when some Wirral wards recorded almost 200 cases in the space of a week.
However, the breakdown gives a slightly different pattern to last week, with the areas previously mentioned, apart from Birkenhead and Tranmere, all registering more cases than last week.
Clatterbridge also saw an increase in its infection numbers.
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But overall covid cases fell in most Wirral wards, with seven seeing cases rise, two showing no change and 13 seeing cases fall.
Another important measure of covid’s circulation in the borough is the positivity rate, that is the percentage of tests which come back as positive.
In the weekly figures this was also down, from 2.1% last week to 1.8% this time around.
That is the lowest rate recorded since August 21.
In the rest of the Liverpool City Region, the pattern was slightly less clear.
Infection rates fell in Knowsley, St Helens and Sefton, but Liverpool’s rate remained virtually unchanged and Halton registered a small increase.
The next few weeks will reveal the full impact of schools reopening and other small elements of lockdown easing which were brought in on March 8.
