THE coronavirus infection rate is still falling in St Helens – although cases in the borough’s care homes continues to rise.

While still high, the seven-day infection rate has been falling across St Helens for a number of weeks, although at a slower rate than our city region neighbours.

The latest figures from St Helens Borough Council’s public health team shows that, between October 28 and November 3, the infection rate dropped to 351.1 cases per 100,000 people, from 634 positive cases.

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The previous week, there were 727 confirmed cases, equating to an infection rate of 402.6.

The most cases continue to be found in people aged 30 to 44, with 170 positive infections, down from 186 a week earlier.

Only one age category has seen a jump in positive cases, and that is in those aged 80 and above.

A total of 43 positive infections were recorded in this age category between October 28 and November 3, up from 32 the previous week.

Some of these cases will have no doubt come from the borough’s care homes, which has seen a jump in infections for the third consecutive week.

According to data from St Helens Borough Council, 35 people tested positive for Covid-19 across four care homes between October 30 and November 6.

That’s a rise from 17 the previous week, where 18 people tested positive.

Three people died in the borough’s care homes between October 30 and November 6, although none were suspected of being related to Covid-19.

According to the council’s data, 78 deaths have been linked to the virus since mid-March, including two that occurred in October.

St Helens Borough Council says the data has been gathered daily directly from each care home and is accurate at that time of collation.

The data may differ from the figures from other official sources, such as Public Health England, or the Office for National Statistics as there may be a delay in official sources of information.

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In terms of hospital admissions, data from NHS England show five people were admitted to St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust from care homes, between October 26 and November 1.

The trust, which managed Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals, has recorded 307 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic.

So far during November, the trust has recorded 17 coronavirus deaths. During the whole of October, the trust recorded 76 coronavirus deaths.