THE number of people in Halton to have died with Covid-19 now stands at 266.

Deaths from Covid-19 fell at the start of February, the first time in seven weeks it has seen its weekly death toll decrease.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday (February 16) showed 16 people died of Covid-19 in Halton in the week up to February 5.

This is down from 21 during the last week in January.

The week also saw the Liverpool City region pass 1,000 deaths already this year, more than a third of last year’s Covid deaths and just under half of all deaths recorded in 2021 so far.

With cases declining and the vaccine being rolled out to more and more people, local health chiefs will hope that the rest of the year will bring a significantly reduced death toll.

The week up to February 5 also saw a decline in deaths in care homes, with 22 recorded during the week compared to 44 in the previous week.

The ONS figures record deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, meaning it was either the primary cause of death or a contributing factor.

In total, almost 4,000 people have now died of Covid-19 in the city region – more than one in every 400 residents and almost a quarter of all deaths since the pandemic began.

The total Covid death tolls for each borough since the first deaths in March 2020 are given below.

Halton – 266

Knowsley – 361

Liverpool – 1,269

St Helens – 446

Sefton – 772

Wirral – 873