"Sensible" to delay lockdown-lifting as Covid rates rise in Preston, Chorley and South Ribble, public health boss says

Lancashire is one of the areas that lies “at the heart” of the government’s decision to delay the lifting of the last remaining Covid restrictions by a month.

That was the message from the county’s director of public health, Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi, after the Prime Minister announced that stage four of the roadmap out of lockdown would be put back until 19th July.

The decision means that capacity limits will remain in place in hospitality, entertainment and sporting venues - while it will still not be permitted for more than six people or two households to mix indoors.

Just two hours before Boris Johnson addressed the nation from Downing Street, the latest infection data showed that the top six council areas with the highest Covid case rates in the UK were all in Lancashire - with three more in the top 20.

The county had an infection rate of 236 cases per 100,000 people in the week to 9th June - more than triple the average rate across England of 67 and Lancashire's highest since 6th February, when it was emerging from its third Covid wave.

Ribble Valley is sitting in second place after its infection rate more than doubled in the week to 9th June, compared to the rolling weekly measure seven days earlier, to hit 448 per 100,000 people - the highest since 18th January. A total of 273 individual cases were confirmed over the same period

South Ribble lies sixth after its rate leapt by 84 percent between 2nd and 9th June - reaching 327 per 100,000 residents

Until recent days, the last time South Ribble’s case rate had exceeded 300 was on 6th February. The borough registered 362 individual cases in the seven days to 9th June.

Preston is the twelfth-worst affected area in the country, with a case rate that increased by 55 percent in the week to 9th June to stand at 265 per 100,000, its highest since 10th February. The city recorded 380 cases over the period.

Meanwhile, Chorley saw its case rate almost double between 2nd and 9th June, reaching 233 infections for every 100,000 people - and reported 276 cases across the same timeframe.

The highest rates of infection across all three Central Lancashire districts are in the 15-19-year-old age brackets, followed by the 20-24 group, according to provisional data for 13th June. Case rates in those cohorts are running at at least double the all-age case rate - and are three times higher for both of those groups in Chorley, as they are in Preston for 15-19-year-olds.

In Ribble Valley, infection rates in the 15-19-year-old age range and 20-24 bracket have broken through the 1,000 per 100,000 people mark - standing at 1,326 and 1,695 respectively as of 13th June.

However, individual cases are much lower in the over-60s than other age ranges - with 32 in South Ribble, 11 in Preston, 14 in Ribble Valley and nine in Chorley across the week to 9th June.

Dr. Karunanithi acknowledged that the delay to the complete end of lockdown would “come as a disappointment to many”.

However, he added: “It is the sensible approach given the rapid rise in cases that is being felt across the country.

“Lancashire is at the heart of this, with large numbers of infections in East and Central parts of the county, which is being driven by the Delta variant that was first discovered in India. Cases are also rising fast in other parts of the county.

“We are seeing a rise in hospital admissions, particularly in younger residents, although it is still too early to know the full impact of this wave. One impact that is clear is the significant disruption the rise in cases is causing to our children and young people’s education, with new outbreaks emerging almost on a daily basis.”