The number of COVID-19 infections in New Brighton has collapsed, following a big rise last week.

Figures for the week up to February 26 showed that the seaside town had 49 cases at a rate of 324 per 100,000, more than double the number recorded in the week before.

But that appears to have been a short-term trend, as a huge fall in New Brighton's infection numbers was recorded this week.

In the seven-day period to March 5, the most recent ward-by-ward figures, New Brighton had just seven cases at the much lower rate of 54 per 100,000.

Elsewhere in Wirral this week, Leasowe and Moreton East recorded the most cases (16 at a rate of 107 per 100,000), followed by Birkenhead and Tranmere (13 cases at a rate of 78), Seacombe (10 cases at a rate of 65) and Rock Ferry (10 cases at a rate of 68).

The picture behind these numbers is hugely positive, as every one of Wirral's 22 council wards recorded between five and 16 cases, very low numbers.

A striking comparison can be made to figures for the week up to January 8, at the peak of the third wave, when Wirral wards recorded between 85 and 198 cases.

The positivity rate, that is the percentage of tests which come back as positive, fell from 3.5% to 2.1% on a week-by-week comparison.

The figure of 2.1% is the lowest Wirral has recorded since August 21 last year, even falling below the 2.3% figure recorded as England exited its second national lockdown in early December.

Looking at figures for Wirral as a whole, which cover the week up to March 7, there were 154 cases at a rate of 48 per 100,000.

That is down on the 268 cases registered at a rate of 83 per 100,000 last week and is the lowest figure the borough has recorded since September 2.

The numbers for COVID hospital admissions cover March 2 and show that 30 were being treated for the virus in Wirral.

This is another encouraging sign and the lowest number recorded in the borough since September 22.

All of the figures are very promising for Wirral at the moment, but earlier this week England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty warned that this is far from the end of the pandemic.

Professor Whitty said there will be a further surge in the virus and it will find people who either have not been vaccinated or for whom the vaccine has not worked.

He added that some of them will end up in hospital and sadly some will die.