COVID stats update: rising infection numbers a reminder of importance of vigilance and vaccination

Coronavirus cases are rising at pace in one part of South Wirral, as the borough as a whole sees its infection rate spiral.

In the week up to June 2, Bromborough had 33 Covid-19 cases, compared to fewer than five just a fortnight earlier, in the week up to May 22.

At that time, every part of Wirral recorded fewer than five cases.

Now, 13 out of Wirral's 22 council wards have five or more infections, with Greasby, Frankby and Irby (14), Heswall (12) and Pensby and Thingwall (11) the areas hit hardest by the spike after Bromborough.

The latest figures for Wirral as a whole, which cover the week up to June 5, show that cases are continuing to surge.

There were 172 confirmed cases in the period at a rate of 53 per 100,000, meaning Wirral's infection rate has more than doubled in the space of a week from 23 per 100,000, with 76 cases recorded, in the week up to May 29.

Julie Webster, Wirral's director of public health, said the figures were "warning signals" for the borough.

At last night's meeting of Wirral Council's adult social care and public health committee, Ms Webster said: "These [rising case numbers] are the warning signals that come our way to say the virus is definitely still out there and it is circulating.

"So we've got an increase in cases. Those cases are particularly in our younger age groups, 30-39 year-olds and the 10-19s as well."

However, there was some more positive news from the public health director.

Ms Webster noted Wirral's infection rate was not similar to that of Bolton or Blackburn with Darwen and there has not been a surge in hospitalisations within the borough.

She added: "What we're seeing here is the vaccination programme absolutely playing its part, particularly with our older vulnerable patients within the borough, they're not catching this virus.

"But those people who are unvaccinated, our younger age groups, obviously now we're all mixing more the virus is doing what it does. It mixes and it infects people, particularly those who aren't vaccinated."

Ms Webster said she expects to see more outbreaks of the virus with school children having returned to classrooms this week and added that although the vaccination programme is working, now is not the time to take our foot off the gas on public health measures.

Eastham Liberal Democrat councillor Phil Gilchrist said he feared there will continue to be spikes in the virus unless better support is put in place for people to self-isolate should they catch the virus.

Ms Webster said the council's public health team is working with 'community connectors' to understand people's problems and offer them support should they need it.