There are fewer people being treated for COVID in Wirral's hospitals than at any time since September 17 in hugely encouraging news.

The very latest figures, from March 9, show there were 21 virus patients in the borough's hospitals, the lowest figure recorded for almost six months.

Of these 21 patients, just three were on ventilators. This measure was regularly in double-figures throughout much of January and February.

Wirral's COVID patient numbers have fallen at a fast pace since January 22, when the third wave over Christmas and early January pushed the figure to a high of 279.

As well as being below January's peak, the current figure of 21 patients is well below December's COVID hospitalisation numbers, which were regularly in the 60s and were recorded after the second lockdown brought cases in the community right down.

But the fact remains that nearly two-dozen people are being treated for the deadly virus in the borough and the figure of 21 is still well above levels recorded during much of July and throughout August when Wirral's COVID hospitalisation numbers were in single figures.

Last summer, virus cases in the community were also lower than they are now, although testing was not as widely available.

On the latest numbers, Wirral had 148 cases at a rate of 46 per 100,000 in the week up to March 8.

That is down on the rate of 69 per 100,000, with 224 cases recorded, in the previous week.

It is a remarkable figure when you consider that a rate of over 980 per 100,000 was recorded on January 8.

Earlier this week, however, England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, warned that this is far from the end of the pandemic.

He 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.