Week-on-week Covid-19 infection rates are now falling in one part of the Liverpool City Region (LCR).
The number of positive tests in Halton has dropped by 7 per cent week-on-week in the updated figures published today by Public Health England.
It is a rapid reversal for the borough as Halton was posting the fastest rising infection rate in the country just a few days ago.
However, infection rates remain very high in the borough, recorded at 1,095 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending Jan 11.
Meanwhile, infection rates in the other five areas of the LCR are still up week on week, but are no longer climbing as quickly as they were.
As the ECHO has reported, in recent days the daily numbers - which are more up to date than the week-on-week comparison - are reflecting further falls.
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In the LCR as a whole, the latest infection rate is 911.25 cases per 100,000 population which is a week on week change of 11%.
It means the rate is still rising week-on-week but it has dipped from a peak of 1006.5 earlier this week and the latest figure seems to indicate a continued downward trend.
The infection rate is still up in all the other five LCR areas:
In Sefton it is 1037, which is a week on week increase of 19%.
In Liverpool it is 972, which is a week on week rise of 13%.
In Knowsley it is 1323, which is up 18%.
In Wirral it is 896, which is a week on week change of 3%.
In St Helens it is 828, which is a week on week change of 21%.
In England as a whole, infection rates have come down again. The infection rate has fallen 18% week-on-week in the most recent figures.
