London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Coronavirus: Stricter measures introduced in Preston

Coronavirus: Stricter measures introduced in Preston

Lockdown measures are being reintroduced in Preston from midnight after a rise in Covid-19 cases.

Residents in the Lancashire city are facing stricter restrictions, which include banning separate households from meeting each other at home.

The council had already asked residents to follow extra precautions in a bid to halt the spread of the virus.

The move brings Preston in line with measures in east Lancashire, Greater Manchester and parts of west Yorkshire.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the restrictions in these areas would remain in place "as the data does not yet show a decrease in the transmission of this terrible virus".

Any changes to the measures will be announced by 14 August following a review next week, he added.

He said the decision to extend the restrictions to Preston was "at the request of the local area".

Almost half of the cases reported in Preston were among people aged 30 and younger, Lancashire's director of public health, Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, said.

As Preston has been designated an "area of intervention" by the government, the city will be able to access additional support to tackle the spread of coronavirus.


Preston is the latest part of the UK to face a tightening of Covid-19 measures



Preston's new restrictions mean that from midnight, people from different households will not be allowed to meet in homes or private gardens.

It also bans members of two different households from mixing in pubs and restaurants, although individual households will still be able to visit hospitality venues.

Social bubbles are exempt from the restrictions, and residents can meet in groups of up to six - or more than six if exclusively from two households - in outdoor areas such as parks and beer gardens.

The tightening of measures only applies to those living within the boundary of Preston City Council.

Business concerns


Café owner Julie Faussat, who moved into new premises before the March lockdown, said: "I am concerned because obviously we've all invested a lot of money into our businesses and what I don't want to see is another total lockdown again, especially for small independent businesses, it would be a real struggle."

Aidan Monks, a baker who delivers bread across north-west England, said: "All you hear people say is 'we just knew what was going to happen'.

"There needs to clear guidance. I think people are more than willing to support it but they just need that clarity and support."





New cases of Covid-19 in Preston increased substantially with 47 (33 per 100,000 population) in the week to Monday, compared with 29 (20 per 100,000) the week before. A further 17 cases were recorded on Tuesday.

Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle and Burnley recorded higher rates in the same week - all of which are subject to the current tightened lockdown in east Lancashire.

The measures for Preston will be kept under review with potential for even stronger localised restrictions from the local authority if the new rules on gatherings are not followed.

Preston City Council chief executive Adrian Phillips urged residents to follow the advice.

"If we can't reduce the infections we could end up having to have further restrictions on people's lives, which is not to anyone's benefit," he said.

Dr Karunanithi said it was "extremely important that we act now" following a significant increase in positive cases.

"I also want to be clear that this is affecting people from both south Asian and white ethnic backgrounds, particularly those living in poor socio-economic conditions in our city," he said.

"I want to pay extra attention to indoor spaces, particularly pubs, where high numbers of people are mixing between households.

"That's a worrying pattern that we really must avoid."

Lancashire Police Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said the force would take action against those who flouted the rules, adding extra officers would be deployed to Preston following the introduction of new restrictions.

Pools, indoor gyms and other leisure facilities will continue to remain closed in Leicester, Bradford and Blackburn.

Shielding will also continue for individuals in Blackburn with Darwen, and Leicester city.

Under Public Health England's weekly surveillance report, Bedford and Swindon were also added to the list as "areas of concern" while Rotherham is being removed following a drop in cases.

Oadby and Wigston have been moved down from "enhanced support" to "area of concern".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×