There has been a major surge in Wirral's COVID-19 hospitalisation numbers, after months of little change.

From March of last year until late December, there had rarely been more than 40 people in Wirral's hospitals with COVID-19, indeed the figures were often much lower.

But in the last fortnight there has been a significant increase in hospitalisations.

There are currently 98 people in Wirral's hospitals with COVID-19, up from 73 on January 4 and just 28 on December 28.

This comes on the back of a massive increase in COVID-19 cases in the borough.

Throughout November and early December, Wirral's infection rate was anywhere from just over 300 per 100,000 to just over 400 per 100,000.

On the latest figures, which cover the week up to January 8, the current rate is 2,264 per 100,000.

However, the rise in cases over several weeks appears to be levelling off, as the January 8 figure is down on the rate of 2,669 recorded in the week up to January 1.

It is too early to tell if this pattern is translating into deaths, as the most recent figures cover the week up to December 31.

In that week, there were five deaths with COVID-19 registered on the death certificate in Wirral, with the number of weekly deaths having remained in single figures since March.

Despite the surge in cases in Wirral and across much of the country, there have been no new rules announced to tackle the spread of the virus in England in recent weeks.

Yesterday, it was announced that the time people have to self-isolate for after a positive test will be reduced from Monday.

The current UK Health Security Agency guidance is for cases to isolate for at least six full days from the point at which they have symptoms or get a positive test, whichever is first, with release from self-isolation after two negative lateral flow test results on days six and seven.

But under the new rules, people will be allowed to leave self-isolation after completing five full days, with negative tests on days five and six.