Preston and South Ribble’s coronavirus cases for the weekend have been confirmed as the city and borough reached levels of infection rates not seen since summer 2020.
During Saturday (16 January) Preston recorded 104 new Covid-19 cases, and a further 81 cases on Sunday (17 January).
South Ribble recorded 79 and 55 cases for the same two days.
Wyre was up by 47 cases and 35 cases, Fylde recorded 47 and 35 cases.
Ribble Valley was up by 47 cases and 27 cases, while in Chorley there were 50 cases for Saturday and 57 for Sunday.
See the latest coronavirus cases and information for where you live
Preston and South Ribble’s coronavirus infection rates were in England’s top 10 fastest-rising areas during Friday. New infection rates are due to be published on Monday.
The chart below tracks the infection rate in the city and the borough since the end of October 2020, and shows the third wave is heading to be bigger than the second wave which led to the second national lockdown in November. If you can’t see the chart, click here.
Read more: Gym in Preston industrial estate shut down for fifth time for breaching Covid rules
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has pledged all adults in the UK will have been offered their first dose of a Covid vaccine by September.
An early autumn target has been set according to the minister.
He told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “Our target is by September to have offered all the adult population a first dose. If we can do it faster than that, great, but that’s the roadmap.”
Mr Raab also said from March we may see a return to the tiered system of restrictions.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “The aim is by the middle of February to have 88% of those most at risk of dying of coronavirus with their first jab, and by the early spring to have 99% – so that is the milestone if you like.
“I think it is true to say that when we get to a situation in the early spring, perhaps March, if we succeed in hitting those targets – we have made good process so far – we can start to think about the phased transition out of the national lockdown.
“I think it is fair to say it won’t be a big bang, if you like, it will be done phased, possibly back through the tiered approach that we had before.”
Read more: Heavy rain warning for Preston and Lancashire from Monday onwards is upgraded
NHS England’s chief executive Sir Simon Stevens gave an idea of the pressure the health service was currently under.
He said: “Since Christmas Day we’ve seen another 15,000 increase in the in-patients in hospitals across England, that’s the equivalent of filling 30 hospitals full of coronavirus patients.
“Staggeringly, every thirty seconds across England another patient is being admitted to hospital with coronavirus.”
Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines