Top doc describes 'mixed picture' as number of Covid-positive patients in hospital on Fylde coast drops again but 29 die in the space of a week

But the number is fluctuating on a daily basis and 29 people have died in the past seven days after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Dr Jim Gardner, medical director at the NHS trust running Blackpool Victoria Hospital and Clifton Hospital in St Annes, said: "Really it's a rather mixed picture, to be honest."

Dr Gardner said he was still worried about the number of over-60s catching the bug, and said they're at particular risk of ending up in hospital or dying.

Of the 144 patients in hospital this afternoon, 114 are on general Covid wards at the Vic, in Whinney Heys Road, 12 are in intensive care, and 18 are at the Clifton Hospital, in Pershore Road.

The deadliest day at the Vic remains Sunday, April 12, when 11 Covid-related deaths were recorded in the NHS's figures.

While some minor operations have been cancelled because of the surge of the second wave, all urgent ones have gone ahead as planned, Dr Gardner said during his weekly coronavirus briefing.

"The effect of the lockdown hasn't been felt yet in terms of our numbers and so we need more time for that work through, but it gives us some hope that we will see this progressive decline, notwithstanding some busy days," he added.

In other local developments:

* Two residents have died at the New Victoria Nursing Home in Hornby Road, Blackpool, after an outbreak of Covid, with 22 cases reported.

Manager Marion Gourlay said the pair had underlying health conditions, while two workers were also "seriously ill".

National experts have been called in to try and get the outbreak under control. The health industry watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, said it was working to "monitor the situation closely and ensure residents' safety."

* Blackpool's director of public health Dr Arif Rajpura said mass rapid coronavirus testing set to be carried out in the resort could lead to an increase in its infection rate, which has now dropped for two weeks in a row.

Some 10,000 lateral flow kits, which give results in around 30 minutes, will be sent to the town so the testing of priority groups can be started, with weekly allocations to follow.

Dr Rajpura said a "small rise" in the infection rate may be noted "but we also look at a range of indicators in order to assess the impact of the pandemic, including test positivity, which is the proportion of tests being carried out that return a positive result – this figure usually starts to rise when we see a true increase in cases," he added.

"With the introduction of mass testing, the test positivity is likely to decrease."

* Year Four youngsters at Layton Primary School were ordered into self-isolation for a second time since September, following another confirmed case.

They will be allowed back to class from Tuesday, November 24, headteacher Jonathan Clucas said.

"This is to stop any potential spread of Covid-19 within the community."