No new Covid diagnoses at Blackpool Victoria Hospital for 48 hours as two 'small teams' of NHS heroes go into self-isolation

The hospital’s medical director Dr Jim Gardner welcomed the news – but stopped short of saying the coronavirus has been defeated on the Fylde coast.

He said: “We appear to have entered into a new phase, but we remain very cautious about that as lockdown has eased [and] we have seen much more movement of the general population.

“We need to remain very careful.”

There were 36 patients being treated for Covid-19 on the wards, Dr Gardner said this afternoon. That’s down from 52 last week, which is a “pleasing reduction,” he said.

The hospital is also taking part in the national ‘track and trace’ programme.

Dr Gardner said: “If any patients or citizens in the community – or staff – are being tested positive, we get information about that.

“That has led to two small teams being asked to self-isolate for a period of time, and that’s really important in terms of our ongoing control of the Covid situation.”

Some 221 patients have died at the Whinney Heys Road hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus, with that number rising by 21 since last Monday.

But Dr Gardner said the figures, which are released by NHS England and contain only verified and confirmed deaths, do not necessarily mean 21 people have died in the past week and a half.

He said: “Some of these are technical adjustments as medical certificates are reviewed. There is no doubt that our death rate has fallen, but it is not zero and I will report that to you when that occurs.

“We also have got three patients in Covid [intensive care] at the moment, and that situation appears to be stable also.”

Around 300 antibody tests continue to be carried out on a daily basis at the trust, which also runs Clifton Hospital in St Annes, including on staff at neighbouring trusts.

“Of our own staff, we have done over 4,000 tests and the positivity rate is showing at 18 per cent”, Dr Gardner said, meaning around 720 NHS heroes have had the disease.

“We believe that is equivalent to the results being shown around the north west of England.”

At least 676 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the council area of Blackpool, figures showed, while 400 have now been discharged from the Vic.