A Lancashire Council Blackburn and Darwen has brought in fresh social distancing rules in order to prevent a local lockdown.
The region is in the top ten list of local authorities that have higher rates of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 than the national average. The borough is currently at a rate of 40 cases per 100,000, making us fourth highest.
The borough also has a higher positivity rate, which is currently 7% – this is the rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 as a percentage of all who take a test. The national average is 2-5%.
Its Director of Public Health has recommended five measures including a limit of two people from the same household allowed to visit another household and the wearing of cloth face coverings in all enclosed public spaces
Rather than give handshakes or a hug, they are asking people to only bump elbows with anyone outside of their immediate family. “If we all do it, no one will be offended or think we’re being rude” says the council.
Dominic Harrison said:
We know that people have been worried by the release of figures that show an increase in Coronavirus cases in Blackburn with Darwen, and don’t want a second lockdown to be introduced.
The Council does not want the borough to be in that position either, which is why we are introducing these new measures to give everyone simple steps they can follow to do their bit to help keep the spread of the virus under control.
These steps will help and we are appealing to everyone in Blackburn with Darwen to follow them to protect themselves and their loved ones. If we don’t, a local lockdown, like in Leicester, becomes a very real possibility.
The council is working with the NHS and the wider community on this – it’s up to us all to help each other stick to the advice that’s been given. We can only avoid further lockdown measures if we work together.
In the next week to 10 days, we will see a rise in the number of cases in the borough due to the increased targeted testing we are doing in communities most at risk, and because we have opened a Pillar 2 testing site next to the hospital last week.
In another two weeks, if the rates are continuing to rise, we will have to consider reversing some of the national lockdown lifting measures locally one by one until we see a reversal in the current rising trend. It’s up to everyone to make sure we don’t have to do that.
