THERE have been 138 cases of coronavirus confirmed in the latest daily figures released.

Public Health England figures show that there were 138 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the borough in the 24 hours leading up to 9am on Thursday, October 29.

The health body is now including Pillar Two tests – those carried out in the wider community – alongside Pillar One tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

This indicates a similar number of cases to recent days, with 131 in Wednesday's numbers and 133 recorded the previous day.

St Helens saw a rate of 455.7 per 100,000 for the seven-day rolling rate up to October 24, with 823 cases during the period, a slight increase on the previous week.

This does not take into account more recent days.

The borough was placed under Tier 'very high alert' level measures earlier this month. The Government is expected to review the restrictions after 28 days, in mid-November.

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In total since the start of the outbreak, 5,516 people had been confirmed as testing positive for COVID-19 in St Helens.

The overall rate of infection in St Helens since mid-March now stands at 3,055 cases per 100,000 people, more than double the England average of 1,454.6.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 23,065 over the period to 965,340.

St Helens' cases were among the 205,150 recorded across the North West, a figure which rose by 5,032 over the 24-hour period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, asymptomatic, have recovered and those that have died.