ST HELENS will find out this week if there will be any changes to the restrictions it’s under following the first review of the government’s tiered system.
Since December 2, the Liverpool City Region has been in Tier 2, moving down from Tier 3 – the highest alert level of the government’s tiered system.
Regulations will require the government to review the allocations every 14 days, with the first review complete by the end of December 16.
While infection rates and hospital admissions continue to fall in St Helens, town hall chiefs anticipate there will be no change to current restrictions.
The chances of the Liverpool City Region being placed in Tier 1 are slim, but it is also highly unlikely that it will move into Tier 3 given the sustained improvement seen in recent months.
In making a decision about what tier an area should be placed in, the government will be using the following criteria:
- Case detection rates in all age groups
- Case detection rates in the over 60s
- The rate at which cases are rising or falling
- Positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken)
- Pressure on the NHS
What does the data say?
Data published by NHS England shows there were 40 Covid-19 patients in hospitals ran by St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals, as of December 8.
A week earlier, there had been 58 patients.
The strain on Whiston’s intensive care unit has also greatly reduced in recent weeks, with three Covid patients as of December 8, an increase of one from a week earlier.
The current picture paints a vastly different one to that seen in mid-October, when the hospital opened up five Covid wards to deal with the barrage.
If we look at Covid-19 deaths, three were recorded by the trust last week, compared to six the previous week.
The huge turnaround at the trust has no doubt been driven by the reducing infections rates across the Liverpool City Region.
St Helens’ infection rate has been steadily declining since entering Tier 3 at the end of October, albeit at a slower rate than its city region neighbours.
The exact reason for this is not known, although one theory is due to the geographical location of St Helens compared to surrounding areas with higher infection rates, such as Warrington and Greater Manchester.
St Helens also has fewer residents working in Liverpool compared to other boroughs in the region, who could have accessed mass testing in the city.
Residents and workers in St Helens can now access mass testing without showing any symptoms, after three sites were launched last week.
St Helens’ infection rate was the highest in the region for several weeks, although it has now been overtaken by Halton, which has seen cases rise.
According to data published by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, St Helens’ infection rate fell from 133.9 cases per 100,000 to 122.7, in the week ending December 10.
Despite falling rates in four out of the five member authorities, the city region’s overall rate increased from 87.9 cases per 100,000 people to 88.9.
Separate data published by St Helens Borough Council show there were 216 positive cases of Covid-19 in the borough between December 1 and 7, down from 232 a week earlier.
Haydock recorded the most cases, with 26, followed by West Park, Newton and Thatto Heath.
The greatest number of cases were found in people aged 30 to 44, with 54 cases recorded. Just under 57 per cent of all cases recorded were female.
In the 60 to 79 age category, 40 positive cases were found, while 11 were recorded in the over 80s.
What this means
All of the data continues to point in the right direction for St Helens and the wider region ahead of the government’s review.
That means current rules will remain in place at least until the next review, although restrictions will be eased between December 23 to 27 December.
During those five days of Christmas, households will be allowed to form a ‘Christmas bubble’ composed of people from no more than three households.
You can only be in one Christmas bubble and should keep taking steps to reduce the spread of the virus.
You can meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces.
You cannot meet your Christmas bubble in any other indoor setting, such as a pub, hotel, shop, theatre, or restaurant. In these settings, rules on who you can and cannot meet depend on your tier.
From 28, December, you must follow the guidance for the tier in your area.
The next review will need to be completed by December 30.
For more information, visit sthelens.gov.uk/coronavirus
For more details on making a Christmas Bubble, click here.
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