Covid: Lancashire residents advised to continue wearing masks

Lancashire's public health director has advised residents to keep wearing masks and maintain social distancing

People living in a county where Covid rates are high have been advised to continue wearing masks until infections lower.

Lancashire's public health director Dr Sakthi Karunanithi said infections "keep rising" with levels "incredibly high" among young people in the county.

He said it would be "wise" to follow basic rules until more than 90% of the population was double-vaccinated.

It comes after it was announced most Covid rules are set to end in England.

Boris Johnson said on Monday he expected the final step of England's Covid lockdown roadmap would go ahead as planned on 19 July.

The prime minister said face masks would no longer be legally required and distancing rules would be scrapped.

Dr Sakthi Karunanithi said it would be "wise" to follow basic Covid rules until rates lower in Lancashire

However, Dr Karunanithi said where infections were high in parts of Lancashire it could become a "potential recipe for variants to emerge".

"We are not asking for any restrictions to remain in place on the economy, but in parts of Lancashire the rate is twice the national average - and has continued to increase in the last week," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In the week leading up to 1 July, there were 614 cases per 100,000 people recorded in Rossendale.

Hyndburn recorded 595 cases per 100,000 people, while Burnley had 498 cases.

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Dr Karunanithi also advised Lancashire residents to maintain social distancing until the county was "clear from the point of infections".

"It will not be enforceable, but I think the people of Lancashire will do the right thing," he said.

"We already have a lot of freedom, all we want is to be free, safe and fair."

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