Lowest city Covid rate in UK praised during August
THE start of August saw Portsmouth’s infection for coronavirus being lower than in any other major city in the UK – with the impact of lockdown and acquiescence from the community to restrictions seemingly paying dividends.
The rate of infection per 100,000 people for the week to July 28 was 1.4 in Portsmouth, compared to 5.5 for Southampton and 53.2 in Leicester – which was placed into a local lockdown.
Leader of the council, Gerald Vernon-Jackson said: ‘This is really good news. People have worked really hard to keep each other safe and although there may be a degree of luck involved, Portsmouth residents can give themselves a huge pat on the back.’
The results of staff testing for coronavirus at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust were made public for the period from March 21 to July 5. It showed there had been 1,589 employee swab tests with 11.8 per cent testing positive.
Meanwhile NHS workers protested after being ‘overlooked’ for a public sector pay rise.
Carrying plaques and banners, campaigners marched from Guildhall Square, along Winston Churchill Avenue before heading south down Hampshire Terrace and ending up at Southsea Common.
The impact of Covid was showing with many businesses shutting their doors. Popular all-you-can-eat Kungfu Buffet in West Street, Fareham, had to be wound up after going into liquidation amid struggles during the pandemic.
It followed a huge surge in the number of businesses filing for insolvency compared to last year, with many firms only kept afloat by government funding - with fears they would go insolvent coming out of lockdown.
Away from coronavirus, Britain’s newest Royal Navy warship HMS Tamar announced it was ready for front-line duties just five months after the first sailors stepped aboard.
The Portsmouth-based River Class offshore patrol vessel incredibly went from an incomplete ‘lifeless hulk’ at the beginning of 2020 into a vessel ready to deploy around the globe by August - in what is thought to be the fastest development of a warship in peacetime.
‘People have worked long into the night, at weekends, they have thrown themselves into HMS Tamar – and that comes through time and again,’ Lieut Com Michael Hutchinson said.
The city council’s £12m plans to demolish a landmark building were suddenly thrown into doubt by the most unusual of circumstances when a protected bird of prey was found nesting in the block.
Peregrine falcons, the fastest birds in the world which can reach 240mph when nose-diving to catch prey, were heard squawking near the top of the authorityowned Horatia house, Somers Town.
At first a couple thought the ‘ horrendous’ noise was foxes before they looked out the window and saw the birds near the top of the deserted block.
A Portsmouth City Council spokeswoman said: ‘ We are not yet proceeding with works on Horatia House at the moment and will of course halt or delay as necessary.’
A suspected road rage brawl saw a trio of neighbours – including a former paramedic and a midwife – being hailed as heroes after they rushed to the aid of a man who was ‘knocked unconscious’ and suffered a bleed on the brain.
The incident in Stubbington Avenue, North End, was recorded with the victim being kicked in the head and collapsing on the ground. A crowdfunding appeal would later be launched to help him.
A difficult year for school students saw them receive their grades amid controversy after exams were cancelled due to the pandemic.
A-level students had grades marked on past performance and their mock exam results - leading to criticism in some quarters. But good results were celebrated by many.
A week later pupils collected their GCSE results - with results based on teacher predictions, following a U-turn by the government in the aftermath of anger at the way A-level results were handled.
Fears were also raised about the controversial project by the firm Aquind to land cables in Eastney and run them to Denmead to a proposed new interconnector.
Students at St Edmund’s Catholic School in Portsmouth, collected their GCSE results
A convoy of about 100 horses travelled through Portsmouth on its way to Southsea seafront on Saturday, August 15 Picture Anthony Green
FINISHED Kungfu Buffet in Fareham went into liquidation Picture Ian Hargreaves
Police in an alleyway between Fisherman’s Kitchen and Riva 6 beauty on Clarendon Road Southsea after a woman was raped