This unhappy news comes almost 18 months after the country was first locked down to prevent the virus from spreading.

In the most recent week's figures, four people in Wirral died with COVID-19 listed as a cause of death on the death certificate, taking the overall figure up to 1,002 since the start of the pandemic.

Reacting to the news, Julie Webster, Wirral Council's director of public health, said: "It's a terrible milestone, one we desperately hoped would not be reached in Wirral and I am deeply saddened by every life lost to this horrible virus.

"I am so sorry for their loved ones. We've lost over 1,000 of our family and friends as a consequence of COVID-19 and our community continues to feel the impact of the pandemic each day.

"This milestone is a reminder to us all that the virus is still circulating in our communities."

Ms Webster sent an important message to the people of the borough, she added: "The number of people being infected each day in Wirral remains high and likely to increase further as we head into the autumn and winter months.

"While many of us are enjoying the things we've missed, COVID-19 does not take a day off.

"Please get vaccinated, get tested and keep in mind the protection of our loved ones and those most vulnerable to the virus."

Case numbers are rising in Wirral.

In the week up to September 4, there were 1,091 cases of COVID-19 registered at a rate of 336 per 100,000, up from 972 cases at a rate of 300 per 100,000 the week before.

While the rate of increase is currently slow, there are fears it could pick up as colder weather approaches and more people begin to socialise indoors, putting hospitals under significant pressure during the winter, which was incredibly busy for them before the pandemic arrived.

There are currently 38 people being treated for COVID-19 in Wirral's hospitals, a number up by just one from last week.

Wirral's hospitalisation figures have been stable in recent weeks, hovering between the 30s and low 40s, showing that despite case levels being relatively high the vaccine rollout is having a major impact.

On January 22, before most people had been given the vaccine, there were 279 COVID-19 patients in Wirral's hospitals.

As for deaths, the figures have also been stable, ranging from zero to seven per week in July and August.

However, this is a step backwards from May and June when no coronavirus deaths were registered in Wirral.

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