Coronavirus cases in Knowsley more than trebled in the last week of June, new figures reveal.
Statistics published by Public Health England on Thursday show the borough saw the fourth fastest rise in coronavirus infections of any local authority in England in the week ending June 28.
Although the absolute number of cases remains relatively low, the speed with which cases increased from nine to 30 in the space of one week will concern local health authorities.
With 20.1 cases per 100,000 residents, the borough now has the 12th highest rate of coronavirus cases in England, up from 66th the previous week.
These figures include both Pillar 1 tests carried out in hospitals and the Pillar 2 tests carried out in the community.
Although Knowsley has by far the highest rate of cases in the Liverpool City region, it is still a long way off the infection rate in Leicester, which was placed back into lockdown this week following a spike in reported cases of coronavirus.
Leicester’s infection rate is still seven times higher than Knowsley’s, at 141 cases per 100,000 residents.
Knowsley’s director of public health, Dr Sarah McNulty, said: “Naturally we are concerned by any data that indicates an increase in the number of Knowsley residents testing positive for COVID-19.
"However, we must ensure that any figures are considered in context and in perspective. For example Leicester’s rate per 100,000 population is 143 – ours is 20 and not at a level that would indicate a serious cause for concern or for people to panic about.
"Similarly it is important to recognise that the number of people being tested in Knowsley has also significantly increased in the last week."
Dr McNulty added that the council would continue to monitor the data, and urged residents to "proceed with caution" as lockdown restrictions eased this weekend.
In the Liverpool City Region as a whole, the number of cases fell last week from 146 to 129.
Wirral saw a significant drop in its infection rate, from 19.2 cases per 100,000 residents to 8.4, while Sefton also saw its infection rate almost halve.
St Helens and Halton both saw no change in their infection rates, while Liverpool itself saw a slight increase from 6.3 cases per 100,000 people to 7.7.
In absolute terms, this translates to approximately eight new cases of coronavirus in the city.
