OVER a hundred new coronavirus cases have been reported in East Lancashire – after 48 hours without figures.

The 107 new cases are a combination of those recorded on Wednesday and Thursday, after Public Health England announced they were unable to release figures in the week owing to ‘technical difficulties’.

In Blackburn 57 new cases have been detected, bringing the total number of cases since the outbreak began to 1,657.

On Friday, a new task force to tackle rule-breakers was created, with tougher punishments now in place for those found to be breaking coronavirus lockdown regulations in the area.

Pendle recorded the next highest number in cases, with 27 people testing positive for COVID-19. The total there is not 736.

Hyndburn – which has been seeing rising figures over the last week – recorded the third highest number of cases, with 11 people found to be carrying the virus. A total of 438 people have now tested positive in the borough.

Next up with seven new cases was Burnley, followed by the Ribble Valley with three. Respectively they have recorded 558 and 214 cases.

Only two people were detected with the virus in Rossendale, with a total of 312 cases.