Coronavirus: Blackburn with Darwen Council warns people they risk a Leicester-style lockdown
Written by News on 11/07/2020
Blackburn council has warned people to follow coronavirus guidelines or risk a Leicester-style local lockdown after a “moderate rise in cases”.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is also setting up a new mobile testing centre in the town so they are “second-wave ready”, officials say.
They added that while Blackburn has not had “the level of outbreak seen in Leicester“, they are introducing a range of measures after concerns over the number of positive tests in the area.
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But although the authority says there has been a rise in cases, the most recent testing data shows a fall.
Sky News analysis reveals that the number of COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people dropped from 32.9 in the third week of June to 20.8 in the fourth week.
Coronavirus cases rose in 36 local council areas in England during the last week of June.
These include Knowsley in Merseyside, Bolton, and Hammersmith and Fulham in west London – but not Blackburn with Darwen.
Regardless, council leader Mohammed Khan warned: “No one in Blackburn with Darwen wants to find ourselves in a situation like in Leicester.
“Please continue to do your bit to stick to the rules to protect yourself and your loved ones.”
The Leicester lockdown at the beginning of the month saw non-essential shops closed down and pubs, restaurants and hairdressers banned from reopening on 4 July.
People living in the city are being urged to stay at home and schools have also closed.
Sky News has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Blackburn with Darwen Council warns people they risk a Leicester-style lockdown
