Get jabbed to protect yourselves from tourists this summer, says Blackpool Vic boss

Dr Jim Gardner said he hoped visitors will flock to the Fylde coast once they are able to holiday in the UK again, but said it could see Covid “move into the area”.

He said: “So I think the best way we can protect ourselves and our economy is to make sure that everybody who can be immunised is in fact immunised.

"The facilities exist at GP practice-level and, of course, at the Winter Gardens. There’s lots of capacity to do the immunisations, so, again, please seek out that opportunity if you can."

Speaking during his weekly coronavirus briefing, Dr Gardner said the number of patients in hospital within 14 days of a positive Covid test continues to fall, though the number still being treated outside of those 14 days remains high.

He said: “The data shows we have 57 patients who are positive within 14 days of their first swab, plus another 71 patients who are in hospital because of Covid, so that takes us up to 128 in total. This time last week the number was 153."

Of the 57, 45 are on general wards, nine are in intensive care, and three are in the Clifton Hospital in St Annes.

"There are still a lot of patients who are Covid-positive who are in hospital because of Covid, who are still in critical care, and it illustrates the fact that we are seeing perhaps a slightly younger age group balance in terms of the patients we are admitting,” Dr Gardner said.

“But there are still some people who are desperately poorly with Covid.

"It’s a constant reminder to us about what a dangerous and difficult illness it remains even as we have more and more treatments available."

Dr Gardner reported a further 12 people dying within 28 days of a positive test, taking the Vic’s death toll to 731.

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