Borough remains hotspot for Covid

HYNDBURN remained one of the Covid hotspots of Lancashire this week, with hundreds of new positive cases.

There were 473 new infections in the seven days to July 2 - marginally up from 464 the previous week, with the borough’s rate of 583.6 cases per 100,000 second only to neighbouring Rossendale in that period.

Data for the most recent period (July 3-7) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

Rules on self-isolation are being eased for the fully vaccinated and under-18s, new Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced this week.

People in those categories who have come into contact with a coronavirus case will not need to shut themselves away for the 10-day isolation period once the change comes into force on August 16.

Mr Javid’s announcement follows Boris Johnson’s decision to tear up England’s coronavirus regulations at Step 4 of the road map, expected on July 19.

Mr Javid told MPs that from August 16, anyone who is a close contact of a positive case will no longer have to selfisolate if they have received two doses of a vaccine and have given the second jab a fortnight to take effect.

As under-18s are not routinely jabbed, a similar exemption from self-isolation rules will be extended to them.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson also set out changes to the “bubble” system in schools on Tuesday.

Pockets of Hyndburn are also lagging behind in vaccination rates, according to alarming new Public Health England data. In the Accrington West neighbourhood, just 59.1 per cent of adults have had a first dose of vaccine, with just 37pc of adults having had two jabs by June 29. The equivalent UK vaccination rates stand at 84.9pc for a first dose and 62.4pc for both doses.