COVID stats update: Wirral case numbers rising

Coronavirus cases are up by almost a third in Wirral, amid reports that more national restrictions may be brought in to tackle the Omicron variant.

In the week up to December 14, there were 1,770 cases of Covid-19 recorded in Wirral at a rate of 546 per 100,000.

That is up by 30% on the 1,361 cases at the lower rate of 420 per 100,000 reported in the previous week.

However, the number of people in Wirral's hospitals being treated for Covid-19 is stable at around 30, and has been since October.

Wirral's figures on weekly deaths with covid registered on the death certificate are also stable and remain in single figures, although they do lag a couple of weeks behind numbers on cases and hospitalisations.

Of course it should be noted that it has taken a few weeks for rising case numbers to translate into rising hospitalisations during the pandemic.

The major rise in case numbers across the country has seen some call for more restrictions to be brought in.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been presented with three options to tackle the spread of the virus, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The paper reported that they range from guidance asking people to limit indoor contacts, to rules on household mixing, social distancing and a curfew on pubs and restaurants, and thirdly a full lockdown.

But around one third of the cabinet are said to be reluctant to support new restrictions in the coming days, with Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak among them, according to The Times.