Partial lockdown as cases soar
HALTON has been placed under partial lockdown after a steep rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
Extra restrictions came into force on Tuesday, September 22, and applied to Halton and other boroughs across the North West including Merseyside and Warrington, where the infection rate has shocked officials into action.
The rate of new cases has trebled in Halton in the last week.
According to Public Health England figure, over the seven days from September 14 to September 21, Halton
recorded 216 new coronavirus cases – about a fifth of the borough’s total number of diagnoses since it recorded its first cases six months ago.
The rate equates to 170 cases per 100,000 people.
In the previous seven days, there were 70 new recorded cases – a rate of 55 cases per 100,000 people.
Warrington and Halton NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust (WHH) has recorded two coronavirus deaths in the last week, bringing the total to 141.
Trust figures issued last Thursday, September 17, showed the number of Covid-19 in-patients had risen fivefold over the previous week from three in-patients to 15.
The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care had increased from zero to two.
St Helens and Knowsley (Whiston) has avoided any fresh fatalities and its total number of deaths has remained on 209 since near the start of August.
The rising rate of infections has not yet been reflected in the death rate.
For the most recent data available, in the week ending September 11, there were no coronavirus deaths recorded in Halton.
It may be, however, that the delay between how long it takes to test positive and for patients’ conditions to turn critical means there will be higher mortality rates in the weeks to come.
The extra restrictions announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on
Friday and which came into effect on Tuesday are:
● Residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens
● Hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service only, although the Prime Minister said on Tuesday that takeaways would be allowed.
● Late-night operating hours will be restricted, with leisure and entertainment venues including restaurants, pubs, and cinemas, required to close between 10pm and 5am.
● Residents are also advised to only use public transport for essential purposes such as travelling to school or work, and to avoid attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.
The Prime Minister announced further sweeping national lockdown rules on Tuesday.
Full rules and guidance are available online at www.gov.uk