COVID-19 infections have risen for three consecutive days in Wirral.

Figures which cover the week up to April 12 show the borough recorded 39 virus cases at a rate of 12 per 100,000.

That was slightly lower than the 45 cases recorded in the previous seven days at the higher rate of 14 per 100,000.

However, in the last four days of the most recent weekly period for which we have figures, cases began to rise.

Looking at the numbers for April 9-12, cases went up each day, rising from 30 to 39 over the four days.

This cannot be put down to the easing of restrictions on Monday, as the figures only go up to April 12, the day that non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality reopened.

But the numbers are a worrying sign going forward.

Wirral has not seen its infection rate rise for three or more consecutive days since January 8, when the virus was totally out of control in the borough and a rate of 988 per 100,000 was recorded.

If the pattern continues and is perhaps made worse by the easing of restrictions, the virus could begin to spread in significant numbers in the borough.

But public health experts will be hoping that continuing restrictions, as well as the rollout of the vaccination programme will prevent this from happening.

The next few weeks worth of figures will be crucial in helping us to understand if this is just a blip or the start of a more long-term trend.

Elsewhere in the Liverpool City Region, cases have fallen in most areas, but not all, on a week-by-week comparison.

In Liverpool, the infection rate fell from 20 per 100,000 in the week up to April 5, to 16 per 100,000 in the week up to April 12.

Knowsley's rate also fell on the same comparison, from 23 to 19, while Halton's rate declined from 22 to 18.

St Helens' saw no change in its rate, as it remained at 23, while Sefton's infection rate went up slightly from 19 to 20.