Serious disruption to the city's NHS, police and fire services is likely as covid cases hit record numbers - but waves of new vaccinations are prompting optimism.
Despite a small but vocal minority of hardcore conspiracy theorists spreading toxic misinformation about vaccines, people with genuine concerns appear to be coming forward to get jabbed since the onset of the Omicron variant.
Cases in Liverpool continue to break records, with the rate of infection per 100,000 residents now at 1,640 - the highest at any point during the pandemic.
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In the week up to December 28, there were 8,170 positive tests, an increase of 3,309 on the previous week.
In Liverpool's main adult acute hospitals, the Royal Liverpool and Aintree, there were 158 covid patients as of December 28 - compared with 90 on December 19.
Professor Matt Ashton, director of public health at Liverpool Council, told the ECHO that pressure is very likely to increase on frontline services in the coming weeks - but more likely due to staff absences than sick patients.
He said: "We know that hospitalisations and deaths follow increases in infections, but the relationship between hospitalisation rates and infections is much lower, which is great.
"Although we still have the problem that a small percentage of a larger number is still enough to increase pressure."
Prof. Ashton said the impact of the Omicron wave will be "more complicated" than previous spikes.
He said: "We have hospitals in Lincolnshire on red alert because they do not have enough staff, and London has been struggling for a while.
"Over the next couple of weeks we may end up in a similar position."
Prof. Ashton said frontline services including police, the NHS, fire and rescue and council services would have detailed contingency plans in place - but the signs are that significant disruption thanks to staff who have contracted covid are likely.
He highlighted that even with less patients entering critical care with covid, every patient who tests positive requires handling differently to prevent the virus spreading, which increases the workload of hospital staff.
However, vaccination rates in the city have picked up - likely to increase the break between infection rates and the number of people suffering severe disease.
Prof. Ashton said: "It has been wonderful to see the increase in people coming forward to get their first or second jabs.
"We have done really well in Liverpool with the booster rollout, the conversion rate from two to three jabs is really good, we're really pleased to see that.
"Clearly the first and second jabs are lower. Although they are in line with other core cities, they are too low for me.
"But recently in our clinics we have been seeing hundreds of people every day coming forward for their first or second jabs.
"We will keep on making our vaccination clinics accessible and I would say it's never too late to start on your vaccination journey."
Figures on the government's dashboard of covid statistics show that in December alone, 6,299 people in Liverpool came forward for their first dose of the covid vaccine, alongside 7,501 receiving their second.
Prof. Ashton said the rise of the Omicron variant appears to have convinced many people who had been harbouring genuine concerns to change their minds.
He said: "We all make our own opinions and I'm a strong believer there should not be mandatory vaccinations apart from in situations where there are very high consequence diseases.
"If you look nationally some 8% of people hold very strong anti-vaccination views; they will never be vaccinated in any circumstances.
"However everyone else is prepared to be vaccinated if the context is right and the conditions are right.
"I speak to a lot of people about this and a lot have very specific concerns about being told to do something; some people are concerned about having it while pregnant, some are concerned about fertility - but both things are not evidenced at all.
"Lots of people think they are young and fit and healthy, or they have had covid before. But we know that if you have had Alpha or Delta your protection from Omicron is very limited."
Prof. Ashton said that overall around 50% of people in Liverpool's hospitals with covid were unvaccinated, but when the data is analysed to look at people with no record of other health conditions, that ratio increases to 80% unvaccinated.
And when data on the number of patients in intensive care with the virus was analysed, the "vast majority" were unvaccinated.
Anyone seeking information on where to get vaccinated can find more information here.
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