The number of coronavirus cases in Liverpool are now at the lowest level in almost three months.
Data up until 1 March shows it now stands at 93 cases per 100,000 population, the first time it has been below 100 since 14 December.
The number of cases in the seven days up to the start of the month was 463 – a reduction of more than half on the previous week when it stood at 716.
The majority of infections – 57 per cent – are in people aged under 40.
The area with the highest number of confirmed cases is Warbreck with 72 cases, although around three-quarters of these are as a result of an outbreak at HMP Liverpool, which is being actively managed.
Cases are falling in all but three of Liverpool’s 30 wards, and nine of the areas have fewer than 10 cases.
It comes a year to the week since Liverpool recorded its first case of Covid-19, since which more than 47,000 people have been infected – just under 10 per cent of the population – and around 1,300 have sadly died.
Director of Public Health Matthew Ashton said: “It is really positive news that our infection rate is continuing to fall and it is a reflection of the way in which the vast majority of us are sticking to the rules, so a big thank you to everybody as we know it has been a very tough 12 months so far.
“We’ve worked so hard to get to this point, and if we can just keep going it will put us in the strongest possible position when lockdown measures begin to be eased in the coming weeks and months.
“Each time the Government moves to the next phase of the roadmap, there is the potential for an increase in the spread of the virus. That means all have to redouble our efforts and continue to follow the rules which are in place to protect us all.
“The first test will be when schools go back next week and it is vital we all play our part in stopping the virus spreading from the community into the classroom. It is really important that secondary school pupils take advantage of the testing that will be available, and that parents use face coverings and abide by social distancing when dropping off and picking up their children.
“There has been great progress with the the vaccine so far but it is only as good as the number of people who have it. So we need as many people as possible to take it up when called and get the two doses. This will reduce the number of people becoming seriously ill, ending up in hospital and tragically, in some cases, dying.
“The better we all are at following these measures, the quicker things will improve, giving us the return to normal life that we all crave.”
