Preston braces for tightening of lockdown restrictions ahead of today's Government update
Lockdown could be tightened in parts of Lancashire, with the Government expected to deliver an important update on the county's coronavirus crisis later today (Friday, September 11).
Details on how the Government plans to respond to the surge of new cases in Preston has not yet been revealed, but a critical announcement is expected this afternoon.
The Lancashire Resilience Forum, which is leading the county's response to the pandemic, will also hold a press conference this afternoon in response to the Government announcement.
Further changes to the local lockdown are expected as Preston is now a major concern for the Government and public health officials, with cases continuing to soar this week.
The city now has the third highest rate of new cases in the UK, per 100,000 of the population, with 123 cases confirmed since September 1.
This is the highest number since the peak of the city's first wave on May 27 and equates to 85.2 people per 100,000 of the population.
Only Birmingham (975 new cases) and Bolton (462 new cases) have recorded a higher increase in the same period. Tough new restrictions are also set to be imposed on Birmingham today.
The stark statistics were published yesterday (Thursday, September 10) ahead of the Government's weekly review of local lockdown restrictions today.
In response to these figures, the leader of the city council Matthew Brown has urged people to do "play their extremely important role" to help bring the case rate down and avoid further restrictive measures.
Yesterday, he said: "This is a league table we have never wanted to be near the top of.
"We do not want this spike to continue and are keen to avoid additional restrictions being applied to the district.
"I cannot urge Prestonians strongly enough to play their extremely important role in stopping the spread of the virus.
"Thoroughly wash your hands, keep enough space between you and others and wear your mask wherever appropriate."
What can we expect from the Government update today?
The Government is expected to make an important update on Preston and the wider Lancashire area at around 3pm.
It is not yet known what specific measures, if any, it will take to stem the worrying trend across the county. But ongoing concerns regarding these increasing numbers mean further restrictions are likely.
The Government has the option to impose a tougher lockdown on Preston, similar to that introduced in Bolton earlier this week.
These new measures would mostly affect the hospitality sector, with restaurants and pubs having to drastically altar the way they are run.
These measures might include:
- All hospitality for food and drink (restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs) to be restricted to takeaway only
- Late night restriction of operating hours meaning all venues, including takeaways, will be required to close between from 10pm to 5am
- Ban on mixing outside households in public outdoor settings will be enforceable by law
- Additional restrictions on visitors at care homes in the borough
What else can we expect?
The Government's concerns are not exclusive to Preston and South Ribble has also been identified as an area of growing concern.
Figures have risen significantly in the borough - with 51 positive tests in September so far.
This included 14 cases on Sunday (September 6), which is the largest number of cases in a single day since the peak of the virus in South Ribble on April 24.
This is up from eight cases in the last week of August - a dramatic case rate increase from 7.2 to 46.0 (per 100,000) between August 24 and September 9.
We will be bringing you a full report on the Government review and the Lancashire Resilience Forum press conference as it happens later this afternoon.