COVID-19 infections have plummeted once again in Wirral, as the virus continues to retreat in the borough.

In the week up to April 2, 61 cases were recorded at a rate of 19 per 100,000 residents.

Not only is that a fall on last week's rate of 24 per 100,000 people with 78 cases registered, it is also the lowest figure recorded since August 25 last year.

Despite some rises in the infection rate on a day-by-day comparison, Wirral's cases have consistently fallen each week since early January.

In the early days of 2021, in the week up to January 8, Wirral's infection rate peaked at a massive 988 per 100,000 residents.

But due to the rollout of the vaccination programme and lockdown rules, cases have fallen at pace in the borough.

Given the huge sacrifices made to get to this point, Wirral's public health officials will not want to throw away the huge progress made by being complacent too early.

The next stage in the government's roadmap out of lockdown begins on April 12 and will see non-essential retail reopen, as well as beer gardens, restaurants and other hospitality services on an outdoors only basis respecting the rule of six.

In the rest of the Liverpool City Region, progress against the virus is also being made.

Halton's infection rate has more than halved in the last week, from 61 per 100,000 to 29 per 100,000.

In Liverpool, the rate has also declined, from 40 to 23, while Knowsley's rate has fallen from 42 to 24.

There was also good news for St Helens and Sefton, with the rate down from 42 to 30 in the former and 37 to 26 in the latter.