Blackpool Civic Trust

Covid-19, Blackpool 2020, 2021

Updated 5th August 2021

Socialise Safely - Get Blackpool Back

 

An overview of how the Covid-19 pandemic developed and hit Blackpool. It will be updated from time to time.

Please check the latest information with Blackpool Council or the NHS, we have provided links below.

 

We would like to offer our sincere sympathy to those families and their friends who have suffered sickness and loss during the pandemic.

 


Covid-19 Symptoms

Help protect your family, friends and local community here in Blackpool.

If you have any symptoms of #coronavirus, stay home and book a test - there’s plenty available.

Symptoms are - high temperature, new continuous cough, change/loss of smell or taste

If you’re unwell and unsure if you have COVID, please get tested.

 

Testing if you've no symptoms

The Community Centre is currently, 5th August 2021, at:

Houndshill
Unit 95
65 Victoria Street
Blackpool
FY1 4RJ

Visit Blackpool Council's website for the latest details on testing for those without symptoms, with symptoms and vaccinations, click here

 

The NHS website has a simple search page for those without symptoms needing a lateral flow test kit, click below:

https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/#/

 

 

 


 

Blackpool and Fylde Vaccination Centres

For information, this may change please check.

 

The NHS page has a vaccination booking service click here

 

Blackpool Vaccination Centres

 

June 2021 Update:

Blackpool Victoria Hospital is now the main vaccination site for those booking a vaccination online in Blackpool.
There is a free bus service for anyone with a vaccination appointment at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
If you are travelling to your vaccination appointment on the Blackpool Transport bus service 74/75, you can travel for free by showing your vaccination booking confirmation text, email or letter.

A vaccine van is travelling around Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. Just turn up and be vaccinated. Use the links below to locate the van and its timetable.

Blackpool:

https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Campaigns/Coronavirus/Vaccine-Van.aspx

 

Fylde and Wyre:

https://www.healthierlsc.co.uk/CovidVaccination/getmyjab

 

 

To book a vaccination use the NHS vaccination website:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/

Everyone over 18 is now able to book their vaccination.

 


 

 

The 2021 Roadmap out of Lockdown

On the 22nd February 2021 the government issued a 4 step 'Roadmap' out of lockdown with '4 tests that have to be met' at each stage.

The steps are shown on Blackpool Council's diagram below and include:

Step 1 29th March 2021 Schools and Colleges return.

Step 2 not before April 12th, Non-essential retail and outside hospitality opens

Step 3 May 17th, Socialising increases and inside hospitality and hotels opens.

Step 4 July 19th, nightclubs and most restrictions removed. (was June 21st)

 

 

Travel Safely - Covid19


 

Business Covid Checklist from Blackpool Council

 

https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Business/Food-hygiene/Coronavirus-Covid-19-checklist-for-businesses.aspx

 

 

Information for businesses is on the link below.

 

https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Campaigns/Coronavirus/Support-for-businesses.aspx

 


 

Covid-19 Pandemic

We've gathered information from a number of official sites and created a short log of the development of the Pandemic and its incidence in Blackpool.

 

 

Worldwide Pandemic

The Covid-19 coronavirus spread across the world in 2020 and continues in 2021.

 

The WHO reported the first cases in China on 31st December 2019 and on the 12th January 2020 a coronavirus was identified. The WHO declared a pandemic on 11th March 2020.

 

A year later in March 2021 the WHO reported 127 million cases and 2.7million people have died worldwide.

 

At our 5th August 2021 update WHO are reporting 200 million cases and 4.2 million deaths worldwide. Also 3.984 billion vaccine doses have been administered. 658,630 new cases.

 

Below is the worldwide map of cases from the WHO website on 5th August 2021. The darker the colour the higher the total cases to date.

World Health Organisation Covid Map

 

 

Below is the worldwide map of cases from the WHO website on 6th April 2021. The darker the colour the higher the total cases to date.

Worldwide Covid-19 cases 6th April 2021

 

UK

The first 2 cases in the UK were reported on 31st January 2020. In February 2020: 21 cases were reported. In March the reported numbers increased to over 25,000.

 

A year later on the 28th March 2021 the WHO had recorded for the UK; 4.3m cases and 126,573 deaths.

 

Lancashire and the North West of England were particularly badly hit. Areas around Manchester and in East Lancashire had prolonged periods with high levels of cases and social restrictions above those in the country as a whole.

 

 

Blackpool

These figures are from the UK Government Website which gives both Local Authority and Hospital information. It should be noted that Blackpool Hospital covers a much larger population than Blackpool Local Authority.

 

Blackpool Council has a webpage containing local data click here

 

Blackpool local authority recorded its first case on 10th March 2020. It took until 11th July before cases had stabilised at lower than 3 a day when a total of 1026 cases had been recorded.

 

On the 2nd September a low level of cases started, jumping on the 11th September 2020 reaching a peak on 2nd November with 110. By the end of 2020 cases totalled 6417 and by the end of March 2021 it was 9169.

 

Below is the chart of Blackpool Local Authority cases from March 2020 to 22nd March 2021

Blackpool Local Authority Covid Cases

March 2021 to 5th August 2021

Blackpool saw a plateau until late May when cases began to increase peaking in late July with 220 cases on the 16th. Blackpool was the 3rd highest for new cases in the UK for a brief period. In early August cases are dropping substantially and below 100 a day. A huge amount of testing is underway, far higher than before. Cases are highest among those under 40 years of age. Hospitalisations are much lower and mainly younger people, which is said to be due to the vaccine programme.

 

 

The charts below relate to Blackpool Teaching Hospitals

Patients in hospital and patients on ventilator.

May we think of these as individuals and hope they recover.

May we also say thanks to all those working in services supporting the frail and sick throughout.

 

At the peak in 2021 the ICU had been expanded to 32 beds from a normal 16, also deaths in the hospital reached 762 by 7th April. Ref Dr Jim Gardner Medical Director.

 

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Covid Cases

 

 

 

 

 

Deaths in Blackpool

We would like to offer our sincere sympathy to the families and friends who are affected.

 

The first death of a Blackpool resident was recorded on the 29th March 2020, peaking in the first wave on the 22nd April 2020 with 5 deaths recorded.

In the second wave the peak occurred in late October before declining only for it to increase again. By the 3rd March 2021 a periods of zero deaths began.

Between 21st March and 8th July 2021 there were no Covid deaths of Blackpool residents in the official Covid data. Since the 7th July 2021, 7 have unfortunately died.

 

 

 

Blackpool Local  Authority Covid Deaths

On the 27th March 2021 the UK Government recorded for Blackpool Local Authority the total had reached 436 deaths naming Covid-19 on the death certificate, within 28 days of a positive test.

This compares with 307 at the end of 2020.

762 deaths had been recorded in Blackpool Hospital on 7th April 2021.

 


 

England Lockdown and Tier Periods

 

The first lockdown in the UK began on the 23rd March 2020 and was phased out between 13th May and 14th August 2020.

 

Second Wave of Cases

 

5th November to 2nd December 2020 the second English lockdown

On the 18th November the Government charts of hospital admissions by region showed the North West on of the worst areas:

Covid 19 hospital admissions 18th November 2020

 

Three Tier System

On 2nd December a modified Tier system was re-introduced and Blackpool was in Tier 3 which kept bars and restaurants open.

3 Tiers England Covid19

 

Third Increase of Cases

On 19th December Tier 4 was introduced with around 30,000 daily cases. On 31st December 2020 with national cases at 55,000 a day, Blackpool moved to Tier 4 as was most of England, closing bars and restaurants.

 

Third Lockdown 6th January 2021 to be phased out between 8th March and 21st June 2021.

 

 

 

Vaccination

A vaccine programme was begun on 8th December 2020 starting with the most vulnerable and over 80s and moving down in 10 year age bands.

The target being to give one vaccination to 9 categories i.e. those over 50 and certain priority groups by 15th April 2021, 32 million people.

Then to vaccinate every other adult, in 10 year age band order down to age 18, that is another 21 million people, by the end of July.

 

Second doses were recommended 3 weeks after the first dose but UK scientists determined that one dose would provide enough protection for 12 weeks and would enable many more people to be better protected, especially in the face of the then very high rates of cases.

 

Two vaccines have dominated the UK programme to early April, these are the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer vaccine.

Other vaccines are on order, Moderna, Janssen, Novavax.

Moderna vaccinations began on 7th April 2021.

 

On 5th August 2021 86 million vaccine doses have been administered. 47m first doses, and 39 million second doses.

 

 

English Vaccine Priorities

 

 

 

Cases Map

The map below is the status of cases in north of Lancashire in late March on the Government website. White areas have less than 3 cases in the last 7 days.

Blackpool and Fylde Covid Cases Map 22nd March 2021

UK Government Coronavirus in the UK website containing downloadable UK and English Covid-19 data is available on https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

 

Information has been summarised using official sources including the UK Government Covid Status website, World Health Organisation(WHO).

 

05-Aug-2021 Contact us