South Ribble’s coronavirus infection rate has increased with its second week-on-week rise in a row.
AdvertisementLatest figures show for Wednesday (17 March) Preston recorded 16 new cases.
South Ribble saw the same number of new cases for the same day.
Wyre was up by 16 cases, Fylde recorded nine, Chorley was up by five and Ribble Valley recorded 14 new cases.
Preston’s coronavirus infection rate dropped to 132 cases per 100,000 people for the seven days to March 13, down from 143.9 cases per 100,000 people for the seven days to March 6.
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Data for the most recent four days (March 14-17) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.
Preston’s Covid infection rate remains in England’s top 10 highest.
South Ribble’s rate is now 116.4, up from 101.1 – for the same two date periods as Preston and the borough is now in England’s top 20 infection rate areas.
Wyre saw a small rise to 40.1 from 37.5 and Fylde was down to 56.9 from 79.2.
Ribble Valley’s rate fell to 85.4 from 90.3 and Chorley saw its infection rate grow to 79.5 from 53.3.
Read more: Over-50s urged to book vaccine appointment in Preston and Lancashire
There has been a warning that Covid vaccine supply may be ‘constrained’ from the end of March for a month.
As the UK reached the milestone of 25 million people receiving a first dose in the first 100 days of the vaccine rollout – there was an update given by the Health secretary.
It’s understood vaccine supplies from the EU may be reduced from late March, according to comments made by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
See the latest coronavirus vaccine stats and information
With the constraints on vaccine supply expected from late March, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told a Downing Street press conference he wanted to ensure “every last vulnerable person” receives a jab before moving on to the under-50s group.
“We will do all we can and do everything necessary to ensure the supplies that are contractually committed to protecting people in this country,” he said.
Read more: See how many people have had the Covid vaccine across each area of Preston and South Ribble
Mr Hancock said vaccine supply was “always lumpy” but insisted the April 15 target for vaccinating over-50s would be met after the NHS wrote to local health leaders in England warning that “volumes for first doses will be significantly constrained”.
The Government’s Vaccine Taskforce “currently predict this will continue for a four-week period, as a result of reductions in national inbound vaccines supply”, the letter said.
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