Blackpool's health boss warns of 'isolated outbreaks' as Covid deaths and cases fall - but says it 'should not be a cause for panic'

Dr Arif Rajpura spoke out as figures revealed no new coronavirus cases in the resort for two days running, while the number of people dying Covid-related deaths at the Victoria Hospital also appeared to have fallen in recent days.

He said the decline is to be “welcomed” and “it does seem that community transmission is receding” – but added: “That does not mean there is any room for complacency.”

He said it remains “of vital importance” for people to “continue to respect and adhere to all social distancing and hygiene advice”.

Dr Rajpura added: “Similarly, it is important that businesses that are now starting to open up do so in a safe way and follow all Covid-secure guidance.

“It is also important to bear in the mind that the infection has not gone away and that, during the recovery phase, there will be isolated, very localised outbreaks.

"That is to be expected and should not be a cause for panic or alarm.”

A new council taskforce will manage outbreaks in a "calm and measured way" and will "support the Test, Track, and Trace programme in order to control any outbreaks and minimise risk to the wider community," Dr Rajpura added.

The coronavirus death toll at Blackpool Victoria Hospital rose by two to 223 today, NHS England figures showed.

That does not necessarily mean two people have died in the past 24 hours, however, just that their deaths have now been verified to have been Covid-related.

Three times in the past week, no new deaths were confirmed at either Blackpool, Preston, or Chorley hospitals, nor at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

Similarly, that does not necessary mean nobody has died from Covid there - just that the deaths have yet to be ruled as Covid-linked.

There have been 677 confirmed coronavirus cases in the council area of Blackpool, a figure that hasn't changed since Wednesday, while Lancashire cases, including those in Fylde and Wyre, rose by 10 to 3,808 today.

It comes as the UK’s chief medical officers agreed to downgrade the coronavirus alert level from four to three after a “steady” and continuing decrease in cases.

Localised outbreaks are still “likely” to happen and the virus remains in circulation, but the downgrading means transmission is no longer considered to be “high or rising exponentially”, they said.

Earlier this month, Blackpool's R rate - how many people, on average, each infected person will pass Covid onto - fell to 0.5 after spiking the week before at 1.6.

Dr Rajpura did not say this afternoon what the current rate is, after previously warning local figures on their own are "somewhat unreliable".