Wirral's coronavirus infection rate has taken a sharp upturn in the past week, figures show.

According to Public Health England, in the seven days to October 9, the borough had a weekly infection rate of 403.6 per 100,00 people, with 1,309 new cases.

That number has shot up from seven days earlier, when there were 868 positive test results in Wirral, resulting in a case rate of 267.6 per 100,000 people.

Greasby, Frankby and Irby are the new hotspots for the virus on the borough, with 83 cases in the seven days to October 8.

Previous front-runner Bromborough has dropped to fifth on the Wirral list, but still had 65 positive cases - seven higher than a week ago.

But despite the recent surge, pressure on Wirral's hospitals has reduced, for the time being at least.

NHS England's weekly report, published today, says that as of October 12, Wirral University Teaching Hospital was caring for 23 inpatients with COVID-19. That's down from 35 inpatients seven days earlier. A fortnight ago, the number stood at 40.

Of the 23 beds occupied in Wirral hospitals on October 12, three of them were on mechanical ventilation beds.

The last recorded death with COVID-19 at Arrowe Park Hospital was on October 10, with one other fatality in the past seven days of recorded data.

But according to the Office for National Statistics, there has been seven Covid deaths across the borough in the past seven days.

The total number of deaths from COVID-19 in Wirral since that pandemic began now stands at 1,034, with 676 of them in Wirral's NHS hospitals.

As of October 13, almost three quarters of Wirral's eligible population had been double-jabbed.

Number of COVID-19 cases by ward

Ward / Number of cases

Greasby, Frankby and Irby / 83

Heswall / 75

Hoylake and Meols / 75

Upton / 66

Bromborough / 65

Claughton / 63

West Kirby and Thurstaston / 63

Moreton West and Saughall Massie / 62

Liscard / 60

Prenton / 60

Bebington / 55

Rock Ferry/ 55

New Brighton/ 53

Leasowe and Moreton East / 52

Seacombe / 52

Eastham / 48

Clatterbridge / 47

Pensby and Thingwall / 46

Wallasey / 46

Birkenhead and Tranmere / 44

Oxton / 41

Bidston and St James / 40