Coronavirus infections are falling in Wirral, but the rate remains incredibly high.

The latest figures figures show Wirral's infection rate is now 721 cases per 100,000, with 2,336 cases recorded in the week up to January 17. That is down on the rate of 904 seen seven days earlier.

This fall is backed up by positivity rates, that is the percentage of COVID-19 tests which come back as positive.

Last week, 20.3% of Wirral's tests came back positive, this week the figure was down to 18.5%.

That is a welcome decline, but still far higher than the beginning of December, when Wirral's positivity rate was 2.3%.

Although these numbers are still worrying they give the borough hope for the future, and are reflected in declines across Wirral's wards.

Of Wirral's 22 council wards, 20 recorded lower infection numbers in the week up to January 15 than in the previous week. Just New Brighton and the ward of Greasby, Frankby and Irby saw a rise.

In the most recent figures broken down to ward level, Upton had 170 cases at a rate of 1,007 per 100,000 residents.

That makes Upton the ward with the highest case numbers and the highest infection rate in the borough.

Other areas also recorded big numbers in the period, which covers the seven days up to January 15.

Claughton had 144 cases, while Wallasey had 139. Bidston and St James also recorded 139 infections and New Brighton had 135 cases.