COVID admissions at Whiston Hospital are rising once again as infection rates continue to surge across St Helens and the wider region.

The present situation across the Liverpool City Region looks increasingly dire, as infection rates rocket in all six local authorities.

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It is thought the new, more infectious Covid variant is one of if not the driving factor behind the rise, which is showing no signs of letting up.

With cases rising at an alarming rate, the prospect of the region being placed in Tier 4 measures looks almost nailed on, although pressure is mounting for the government to lockdown the entire country.

Boris Johnson said earlier today that stricter measures will be announced “in due course”, shortly before Nicola Sturgeon announced that a nationwide lockdown will be introduced in Scotland from midnight tonight.

The Prime Minister is due to adress the nation at 8pm, where he is expected to announce a new national lockdown.

Locally, as the infection rates have risen over the past week, so has the number of admissions at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Admissions at the trust, which runs Whiston, Newton and St Helens hospitals, had been falling since the end of October, where are one point there were five dedicated Covid wards.

Data from NHS England shows that, as of December 29, there were 55 Covid admissions being cared for at the trust, up from 33 one week earlier.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands this is now significantly higher.

As of December 29, there were two patients in Whiston Hospital’s intensive care unit, unchanged from a week earlier.

It is understood that this has seen a small increase in recent days.

In terms of deaths, St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust recorded five deaths in the seven days up to December 31.

The previous week, the trust recorded three Covid deaths.

Across the Liverpool City Region, there were 404 Covid patients in hospitals as of December 30, up from 343 one week earlier.

During the same timeframe, the number of people in intensive care increased from 24 to 28.

In the week ending December 31, the infection rate for the Liverpool City Region as a whole jumped from 209 to 498.4 per 100,000 population – an increase of 138 per cent.

St Helens’ infection rate shot up from 204.4 to 371, while Knowsley saw its rate rise from 210.6 to 540.9.

Halton is currently the worst affected in the city region, seeing its infection rate rise from 211.8 to 643.1 In the week ending December 31.

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In Liverpool, which is seeing the highest volume of cases, the infection rate rose from 214.6 to 459.8.

Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said on Twitter earlier today that the rise is “especially concerning” as the figures will not include any increase as a result of people mixing over Christmas due to a lag.

Mr Rotheram said further restrictions are needed and urged the government to act now, adding that “people’s lives depend on it”.