Preston 'on the brink of lockdown' as more English towns see a spike in coronavirus cases

6 August 2020, 07:32 | Updated: 6 August 2020, 07:35

English towns with the highest rise in coronavirus cases have been revealed.

After areas in the north of England went into local lockdown over the weekend, now Preston could be added to the list.

The Lancashire city is reportedly 'on the brink of closing down' after coronavirus cases rose dramatically.

New weekly statistics show the number of new Covid-19 cases per 100,00 people more than doubled from 15.5 to 33.8.

The city - which is north of Greater Manchester - now has the tenth highest transmission rate in the country, having moved up from 50th in mid-June.

It also has higher rates than other Lancashire towns which have already introduced new lockdown restrictions, including Burnley (16.9) and Hyndburn (17.3).

Lancashire’s director of public health Dr Sakthi Karunanithi has told residents to expect strict measures to be reintroduced 'within days'.

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He said: “The number of cases is Preston is higher than we would expect – the test positivity is increasing and is now around 3.4 percent, which puts it into a much more concerning category.

“If the rates don’t change in favour of Preston, there is no doubt that restrictions will be implemented.

“If the current pattern continues, then I would not be surprised if similar measures to those in East Lancashire are brought in within a matter of days. There is a weekly review led nationally by the Secretary of State.”

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It comes after local nightclub Switch became the first to reopen in Britain after 're-purposing' as a bar.

Meanwhile, Preston isn’t the only coronavirus hotspot, as other areas are also in danger of local lockdowns.

In Swindon the figure has increased from 19.8 to 48.6, while Melton in Leicestershire has gone up from 15.5 to 33

Carlisle, in Cumbria, has also seen numbers increase from 12.9 to 23.1.

This comes after Aberdeen was put back into lockdown yesterday, with pubs, cafes and restaurants told to shut their doors.

Residents are also banned from travelling more than five miles from their homes.

Other places in the north of England which are affected by local lockdowns are: Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford, Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Calderdale and Kirklees.


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