Preston’s coronavirus cases spike as health chiefs issue stark warning

Covid-19 street closures in Preston city centre Pic: Tony Worrall

Preston’s coronavirus cases are continuing to spike with one of the largest daily rises in recent weeks.

69 positive tests were returned for Covid-19 in the city council boundary area.

What are the current lockdown restrictions in Preston?

You should not meet other people outside of your own household, or support or childcare bubble, in private homes or gardens.
You are not permitted to socialise with people you do not live with at any public venue – inside or outside, including cafes, pubs, community centres or parks
You should not visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances
You can travel outside your local area, however you must not people you do not live with in their home or garden, unless they’re in your support bubble
You can continue to travel in and out of your local area for work, but where possible you should work from home
Schools and nurseries remain open, in schools and colleges with Year 7 teaching or above then face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises
Leisure and entertainment venues, including restaurants, pubs and cinemas, must close between 10pm and 5am
Hospitality for food and drink is restricted to table service only
Residents are advised against attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators
Essential and non-essential shops are open, face coverings must be worn in all shops, supermarkets and shopping centres unless you have a medical exemption
Weddings and civil partnerships are limited to 15 people, receptions are limited to the same number
Funerals are restricted to 30 people
You can still go on holiday outside of your local area, but this should only be with your household or with your support bubble

What do health chiefs say?

The three directors of public health for Lancashire have warned that Preston, and Lancashire, could be ‘just weeks away’ from a full county-wide lockdown.

Hospital admissions for coronavirus have begun to increase and they are saying it’s important Prestonians don’t mix with anyone outside of their household or social bubble.

Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, director of public health for the county council, said; “The people of Lancashire have sacrificed so much already, and we know that what we are asking of people is tough. But we need to act now to control the spread of the virus, so that more restrictive measures aren’t put in place, we can lift the current ones sooner and ultimately so that we save lives.

“There are rumours that people aren’t getting ill, that hospital admissions are low. From someone who has been working on this from the beginning and speaks to frontline workers in our NHS every day, this is far from the truth. We are starting to see hospitalisations rise, and unfortunately with this, excess deaths will be inevitable, especially as we enter the difficult winter period.

“We’ve done one lockdown and I’m sure we took many positive experiences from that – spending more time outdoors appreciating nature, quality time with our loved ones and taking the time to slow down. But if we’re being honest, none of us want to go through that again, but what we are facing is a very real prospect of this.

“The restrictions in place now may seem draconian but they are far from a true lockdown scenario. We’re simply asking people to avoid mixing beyond their own households and be responsible. If we all take small steps to achieve that, we will get the numbers down in time.

“We are at a critical stage in which the whole of Lancashire is in the same position and we really all need to come together and do it for our county.

“We should all take some comfort in knowing that we are in the same boat and we’re working towards a shared goal. Let’s do it for our children, for Dial, Christmas, birthdays, weddings, religious events, holidays and everything else we haven’t been able to fully enjoy since March.”