A quarter of residents in Knowsley eligible for the covid vaccine have not yet had their first dose as cases soar in the borough.
Cases rates among people in Knowsley are now at 2,369 per 100,000, with over 3,600 cases reported in one week alone between December 24 and December 30, more than twice the amount of cases the previous week.
Since omicron arrived in the UK in December, cases have surged across the country, although hospitalisation rates have remained relatively low compared to previous waves.
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At the height of January 2021’s deadly covid wave, when there were less than half as many cases in the borough as now, over 280 patients were being treated for covid in hospital.
According to the most recent NHS data, the number of covid cases in St Helens and Knowsley Hospital Trust, which includes Whiston Hospital, now stands at 90 with two patients receiving mechanical ventilation.
However with cases continuing to climb significantly across the borough, public health officials in Knowsley, which has the lowest vaccination rate among Merseyside boroughs, are continuing to urge local residents to get vaccinated.
While vaccination rates in the over 60s stands at more than 90%, this figure is much lower for younger age groups, where first dose vaccination rates are as low as 60%.
Overall, across Knowsley one in four residents have yet to receive their first dose of the vaccine, with less than 70% of people having received their second dose and just 45% having received a booster so far.
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