THE number of coronavirus patients at Whiston Hospital has fallen below 100 for the first time in a month, giving the strongest indication yet that the second wave has peaked.
The latest NHS England data has shown that admissions at the hospital have been steadily declining, after showing signs of flatlining last week.
As of November 10, 97 beds were occupied by confirmed Covid-19 patients at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals.
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It is understood Whiston Hospital is now down to three Covid wards, having had five at one point in October.
However, fears remain that things could quickly go the other way if the public let their guard down.
The infection rate has been falling across the region for several weeks against a backdrop of stringent lockdown measures.
In St Helens, the infection rate has seen its biggest fall yet.
Between November 5 to the 11, there were 464 confirmed cases of coronavirus, equating to an infection rate of 256.9 per 100,000 people.
One week earlier, the infection rate was 351.1, from 634 cases.
Fears remain that the situation could quickly change if complacency starts to creep in, with Whiston Hospital by no means out of the woods.
The hospital is still dealing with a huge number of coronavirus patients, including 10 people in its intensive care unit as of November 10, and is seeing high attendances to A&E.
England remains under lockdown, albeit one that is less restrictive than the one in March, and residents are being urged to continue to play their part as we tackle the virus together.
Sue Forster, director of public health for St Helens Borough Council, said: “The new national restrictions will reduce our day-to-day contact with other people and reduce the spread of the infection.
“The single most important thing that we can all do to fight Coronavirus is to stay home to keep our most vulnerable residents safe and reduce the pressure on local hospitals and intensive care.
“We must also continue to remember ‘hands, face, space’ to protect ourselves and others.”
Anyone with coronavirus symptoms – a high temperature or a new, continuous cough – should isolate at home and arrange to get a test as soon as possible, either at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
Medical advice about symptoms is available at www.111.nhs.uk/COVID-19, or by calling NHS 111 if you can’t get help online.
For information about the new national restrictions, visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november
To find out about new guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable people and the support available locally, visit: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/shieldingFAQs
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