Highest coronavirus rates outside lockdown areas – with one city on ‘brink’

Preston is ‘on the brink of lockdown’ after coronavirus flared up in the city – and in other English towns outside the northern lockdown zone.

Weekly statistics showed the number of new Covid-19 cases per 100,00 people went up from 15.5 to 33.8 in Preston.

The city is to the north of the Greater Manchester lockdown area and to the west of Blackburn with Darwen.

It comes after the Preston nightclub Switch became the first to reopen in Britain since lockdown, charging revellers £200 per person.

Other significant increases took place in:

• Swindon, in Wiltshire, where the figure increased from 19.8 to 48.6

• Melton in Leicestershire, where it went up from 15.5 to 33

• Carlisle, in Cumbria, has also seen the number shoot up from 12.9 to 23.1

Swindon recently experienced a string of outbreaks at a Honda plant, Iceland food distribution centre, Royal Mail delivery office and the town’s fire station.

MPs in Swindon and Melton have assured worried residents that there are no plans for local lockdowns in their areas. 

However, Lancashire’s director of public health Dr Sakthi Karunanithi warned Preston may have restrictions imposed within the ‘next few days’.

He told BBC Radio Lancashire: “That is my personal and professional opinion given the statistics, the direction of travel and given the size of the issue.” 

Revellers flocked to the reopened Switch nightclub, but many Preston residents branded it ‘reckless’.

Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods, of Lancashire Police, said to “open a venue of 500 young people with drink is just not helpful at all”.

He added that it was irresponsible as the city is ‘on the cusp of restrictions this week’.

Swindon South’s Tory MP Robert Buckland has played down the possibility of a local lockdown, saying: “Whilst this is significant and serious incident, there is no evidence to suggest that Swindon is in a similar position to other towns that have seen community outbreaks.”

On Twitter, Alicia Kearns, Tory MP for Melton and Rutland, said: I know residents have been worried by recent national media reporting that Melton is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases and reports that we may be on the verge of having to lock down.

“This is absolutely not the case: no lockdown is planned.

“In Melton we have seen an increase in cases locally, with around 16 cases in total in the last week.

“As a result, preventative action is being taken to make sure we identify and isolate the virus, and prevent it from spreading any further in our communities.”

Weekly figures for the seven days to July 31 showed the biggest increases in Swindon and Melton.

Top ten English areas not in lockdown

• Swindon 48.6 (108), 19.8 (44)
• Melton 35.2 (18), 25.4 (13)
• Preston 33.8 (48), 15.5 (22)
• Northampton 26.2 (59), 21.3 (48)
• Carlisle 23.1 (25), 12.9 (14)
• Peterborough 22.4 (45), 18.9 (38)
• Hackney and City of London 20.1 (58), 17.7 (51)
• Sandwell 19.9 (65), 29.3 (96)
• Nuneaton and Bedworth 17.8 (23), 8.5 (11)
• Luton 17.7 (38), 20.6 (44)

From left to right, name of local authority; the rate of new cases in the seven days to July 31; the number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to July 31; the rate of new cases in the seven days to July 24; the number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to July 24.

The statistics are expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people and are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

Data for the most recent three days (August 1-August 3) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

In Blackburn with Darwen, the rate has fallen slightly from 81.9 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to July 24 to 77.9 in the seven days to July 31. A total of 116 new cases have been recorded.

Oldham is in second place, where the seven-day rate has increased from 52.6 to 58.1, with 137 new cases.

Bradford is third, where the rate has risen from 48.2 to 53.1, with 285 new cases.

The rate in Leicester continues to fall, down from 64.5 to 52.9, with 188 new cases.