Borough figures double in space of week
THE rate of new coronavirus cases in Halton has doubled in the last week.
According to Public Health England data, the borough had recorded 771 Covid-19 diagnoses by September 7, but this had soared by 70 patients to 841 by September 14.
During the previous week, August 31 to September 7, there were 30 recorded cases, rising from 741 to 771.
And the week before that there were only six new cases in Halton.
Some of the rise could be due to increased testing and the rise does not yet seem to have translated into more deaths, with no Covid-19 fatalities having been recorded in the borough to the week ending September 4, and no deaths since the week ending August 7, when there was one.
In a statement issued on Friday, September 11, Halton Borough Council said the weekly rate had increased but remained lower than other areas in Cheshire, the Liverpool City Region and the North West.
A Halton Council spokesperson said the borough’s rate was “relatively low” compared to areas subjected to lockdown.
Warrington and Halton Hospitals Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) issued a supplementary bulletin last Thursday, September 10, in which it said it had one inpatient with Covid-19 and none in intensive care.
There had been 68 babies born, compared to 56 in the same week last year.
According to NHS data, no-one has died from Covid-19 at WHH since August 24, and St Helens and Knowsley (Whiston) hospitals trust has not recorded a coronavirus death since August 3.