NEW FIGURES from Blackburn with Darwen show more than twice as many new cases than had been expected in the last 10 days.

To date there have been 1,074 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Blackburn with Darwen since the outbreak began.

This represents 7 out of every 1,000 people that live in the borough.

In the last 14 days, 114 people tested positive for COVID an increase of 40% on the previous fortnight.

One in twenty 20 taken by our residents have been positive and over the last week there were on average eight local residents being treated in hospital each day, which is significantly lower than at the peak of the pandemic, when up to 125 residents were in hospital with COVID-19 at one time.

Blackburn with Darwen has also come up with new ways to combat the virus since being named as the third highest town in the country with new infection cases.

See more - Blackburn with Darwen's 5 new measures to combat coronavirus​

Residents are also urged to wear masks in all enclosed spaces in advance of the government making them mandatory in shops from on July 24, but Blackburn Mall have now made it compulsory to wear a mask while shopping.

Read more - Face masks: Blackburn Mall makes coverings compulsory

There have been no COVID related deaths in the past two weeks.