Knowsley’s public health chief has warned against complacency after new coronavirus cases in the borough tripled last week.
The latest figures from Public Health England show Knowsley recorded 39 new infections in the week up to September 4, compared to just 12 the week before.
Dr Sarah McNulty, Knowsley’s director of public health, said the rise appeared to be concentrated in young women.
She said: “Over the last few days, there has been a rise in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Knowsley and across the region as a whole.
“In particular, we have noted increasing numbers of the virus in females under the age of 35. This is a trend that is being seen across the country and something we will continue to monitor closely.”
Infections are now at their highest level since late May, when the country was coming down from its peak.
Knowsley’s infection rate now stands at almost 26 new cases per 100,000 residents, in line with the city region’s average as cases have soared in every borough.
Although the infection rate is still well below that seen in areas like Blackburn and Manchester that have gone back into lockdown, the sudden rise will be concerning for local public health officials.
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Dr McNulty added: “The best way to stop the spread of the virus is to maintain social distancing (keep a 2m distance from others), regularly wash your hands and wear a face covering where advised.
“Our testing rates remain high and I would encourage residents to continue to follow our advice and book a test if they display symptoms (high temperature, new / persistent cough, loss of smell or taste).
“We will continue to monitor the situation but would encourage residents to not be complacent as cases both locally and nationally have reported a rise over the weekend.”
The data suggests that the increase in Knowsley’s cases is not confined to one part of the borough.
Only two areas recorded more than two new cases in the week up to September 2. East Huyton saw four new infections while north-west Kirkby saw seven.
The rise comes against a background of increasing cases across both the Liverpool City Region and the UK in general.
The city region saw more than 400 new cases last week, compared to 233 in the previous week.
Nationally, the UK recorded more than 11,000 new cases in the same week, up from 8,588 the week before.
