Coronavirus infection rates fall in Preston and South Ribble as mass testing ambitions confirmed

The Harris and Flag Market in Autumn Pic: Tony Worrall

Both Preston and South Ribble have continued to see a fall in coronavirus infection rates.

Latest figures from Public Health England have both the city and the borough on a downward trend for their seven-day averages.

Daily figures however for Tuesday (10 November) showed Preston had the highest daily increase in Lancashire, with 123 new cases.

South Ribble recorded 39 new cases for Tuesday.

Preston’s infection rate for Covid-19 is now 427.6 cases per 100,000 people for the seven days to November 6, this is down from 437.3 for the seven days to October 30.

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South Ribble’s infection rate is 267.2 per 100,000, down from 345.7. For the same date range as Preston.

Preston remains in the top 30 places in the country for coronavirus infections.

Mass testing roll-out on the way

Health secretary Matt Hancock re-confirmed during his statement in the House of Commons on Tuesday that mass-testing for Covid-19 was coming to areas with high infection rate.

It follows mass testing, with lateral flow tests, beginning in Liverpool last week.

Lancashire had already been pin-pointed as an area to receive the new testing, of up to 10,000 tests a day to try and track down asymptomatic people who may be spreading coronavirus unknowingly.

No date has been given for when Preston, South Ribble and all of Lancashire will see the start of the mass tests but directors of public health have been written to by the government.