Plea to people to stay safe as Sefton's Covid cases soar

Cases of Covid-19 more than doubled in Sefton last week as one in every 110 people in the borough tested positive for the virus.

In the week up to January 5, when the new national lockdown began, 2,502 people in Sefton tested positive for Covid-19.

The borough now has more positive cases than at any point in the pandemic so far and saw a 168% increase in infections during the week.

The sudden rise is thought to be the result of households mixing over Christmas Day, combined with the presence of the new, more infectious strain of the virus discovered in South-East England late last year.

Some parts of the borough have been hit worse than others, with well over 1% of the population of Formby testing positive for the virus during the week.

Southport, on the other hand, still has an infection rate below 400 cases per 100,000 people.

The sudden rise in cases in Sefton, along with the new national restrictions, has led the council to urge football fans not to congregate ahead of Marine FC’s historic FA Cup fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (January 10).

Non-league Marine will take on the Premier League side at their home ground, and the council is concerned fans could gather outside the stadium to show their support.

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A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “There are many residents across the borough who are, understandably, extremely excited for Marine FC’s FA Cup third round game against Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday.

“However, we must remind people about the current national lockdown restrictions to stay at home and we warn fans not [to] gather around the Marine Travel Arena area immediately before, during or after the game.

“Residents are also reminded that they are forbidden from socialising indoors or in private gardens with anyone who is not in your household or support bubble.

“We have been working closely with Merseyside Police in the planning and preparation for the game and residents should know that there will be police officers patrolling the area.”