Coronavirus in Lancashire: Fifth confirmed case of Covid-19 in county

Public Health England has today confirmed a new case in Chorley, bringing the total in the borough to three.

A Fylde firm is now contacting staff in connection with the latest diagnosis.

The person had been in contact with an existing case, rather than through travel themselves.

This takes the total number of confirmed cases in the county to five, with two cases previously confirmed in South Ribble.

A team from Public Health England is working with the Fylde company, which has not been named by officials, to identify any staff who may need to take further action. In some cases they may need to self-isolate, while for other people the current advice is to be aware of signs of symptoms before taking this action.

Lancashire County Council's director of public health and wellbeing, Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, said: "Our advice remains the same. We can all still be vigilant and do the right things to help ourselves.

"Good handwashing is really important. Protect yourself and your family by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly, and if you cough, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue.

"This person's close contacts are being followed up by Public Health England. So if you have not been contacted by Public Health England, you don't need to do anything beyond following the general advice given to the public.

"We continue to work closely with colleagues in the NHS and Public Health England to do everything we can to stop the virus spreading and protect people in Lancashire."