MORE than 20,000 people across St Helens have now had their second jabs of the coronavirus vaccine – with more than 100,000 having had their first dose. Take-up of the vaccine in the UK has been exceptionally strong; five out of six people in the first nine priority groups have already chosen to take up the offer. In a significant milestone, St Helens Borough care sector has one of the highest uptakes of the vaccine in the North West, so far 95 per cent of care home residents and 88 per cent of care home staff have received the jab. Additionally, 90 per cent of staff at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust which run Whiston and St Helens Hospitals have now had their vaccine.
St Helens covid cases remain steady as restrictions begin to ease liverpoolecho.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from liverpoolecho.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Pop up Covid-19 testing to be trialled in St Helens parks this weekend
The programme could soon be rolled out to other public spaces
17:51, 16 APR 2021
Visitors to the parks can get a supervised test at the testing van
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People visiting two of the St Helens borough’s parks this weekend will have the opportunity to get a quick and easy Covid-19 test on the go, as part of a pilot testing programme in public spaces.
The new mutation, referred to as E484K, is being investigated by Public Health England. The variant has been found across areas of the Liverpool City Region, Warrington and Lancashire. In a statement St Helens Borough Council said there is currently no indication that this version of the virus is more transmissible or results in more serious illness. Work is ongoing to identify if the variant is more resistant to antibodies. This mutation of the virus is different to the South African variant, which has been identified in Southport and other places in the UK this week. In a joint statement with leaders and mayors from across the Liverpool City Region Councillor David Baines, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “Any change in the virus is a serious issue for us all and I’m very concerned to hear of the mutation that has been identified in the region.