Blackburn is at risk of becoming the new coronavirus hotspot in Britain, new data reveals.
According to Public Health England, the number of positive cases in the town have doubled during the past week, with 79.2 COVID-19 infections recorded per 100,000 people overall.
These figures suggest that Blackburn may have the highest infection rate in the country.
Mass testing has already been introduced in the region, with residents required to wear face coverings in all enclosed public places.
People are also being urged to avoid handshakes and have been advised to reduce contact with other households.
ADVERTISEMENT
Leicester / Wikipedia
The new measures were brought in last week in an attempt to prevent Blackburn being forced to enter a local lockdown.
Currently, only the city of Leicester has unable to open up in the same way as the rest of England, with all non-essential premises forced to remain closed.
ADVERTISEMENT
This includes pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, outdoor gyms, playgrounds, cinemas, museums, galleries, theme parks, arcades, libraries, social clubs, places of worship and community centres.
Recent statistics have shown that the local lockdown in the East Midlands region is proving effective, with cases falling to a rate of 77.7 per 100,000 people.
New cases have also dropped from 429 to 276 in the space of a week.
However, Prof Dominic Harrison, Public Health Director of Blackburn with Darwen Council, has commented that they would only execute these measures as a “very, very last resort” and would be “very reluctant” to do so.
He also said these recent results were “expected” and that cases were likely to rise further in the coming days.
The UK recorded 726 new cases on July 19, with 27 new deaths.
More than 290,000 people in the country have tested positive since the outbreak began.
News
Police appeal after man is found with unexplained ‘serious injuries’ in Manchester’s Chinatown
Emily Sergeant
Police are appealing for information after a man is found with unexplained ‘serious injuries’ in Manchester’s Chinatown.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that at around 4:50am this past Saturday (26 September), officers were called to Nicholas Street near the Pagoda in Manchester’s Chinatown, where a man was found seriously injured.
The man was quickly rushed to hospital, where he remains receiving treatment while police work to establish the full circumstances surrounding how he came to sustain his injuries.
At this stage, GMP believes there is ‘no wider risk to the community’, however detectives are ‘keeping an open mind’ as enquiries continue.
No arrests have been made at this time, and the man’s identity has not been publicly released.
While enquiries continue at pace, GMP has issued a public appeal for witnesses in a bid to uncover information on the incident.
Detectives say they are are appealing for anyone who was in the area around the Pagoda in Chinatown between 3am and 5am on Saturday 26 September.
Anyone who may have witnessed anything that could assist the investigation is urged to come forward.
Can you help? Anyone with information, or relevant CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage, is asked to contact police on 101 or via LiveChat, quoting log 578 of 26/09/2026.
Featured Image – GMP
News
‘Enough is enough’ – Andy Burnham issues emphatic statement on Avanti West Coast nationalisation
Emily Sergeant
Avanti West Coast is set to be nationalised from next spring, the Government has confirmed.
After it was revealed back in 2024 to be the UK’s most ‘unreliable’ train operator, according to a shocking study, with 15.36% of its trains cancelled or delayed on average, it has now been confirmed that Avanti – which runs the West Coast Main Line from Manchester to London – will be transferred over to public ownership in March 2027.
Before this, the company had previously been given until 1 April 2023 to continue running the route, but was told it needed to ‘drastically improve’ its services if it was to stand any chance of having the contract extended further beyond that date.
Despite many customers continuing to voice discontent with level of services during this time, the Department for Transport (DfT) under the previous Conservative government deemed ‘significant improvements had been made’.
Avanti West Coast is set to be nationalised from next spring / Credit: Avanti (Press Images)
Now though, in the year 2026 with a Labour government in power at Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the helm, it has been confirmed that Avanti West Coast will be nationalised.
The Government says the services will be ‘run in the interests of passengers, not private sector shareholders’.
“From 7 March, taxpayers will no longer be paying fees to a private operator. Instead, every penny will be spent for the benefit of passengers,” the Labour Party said in a statement.
Andy Burnham has also issued his own emphatic statement on the matter.
Enough is enough.
For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again.
So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in…
He wrote on X: “Enough is enough. For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again.
“So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in March next year. That means passengers, not shareholders, will come first.
“More investment, fewer delays, and a renewed focus on getting the basics right.
“We’re putting essential services back in public hands and building a railway that actually works for the people who use it.”
Andy Mellors, who is the Managing Director at Avanti West Coast, added in his own statement: “Over the coming months, we’ll work closely with the Government to ensure a seamless transition into public ownership while remaining focused on delivering for our customers and communities.”
The Manc -
20th July 2020 
