The weekend is upon us- and BBC North West does not cover Cumbria- perhaps no surprises there! But whilst they are mentioning that there has been a rise in Coronavirus cases in the Blackburn-with-Darwen Borough Council area (not knocking the coverage of Lancashire, by the way, more is needed), they might have added that Cumbria has seen a rise in cases- particularly in the Carlisle area.
This is important because it is summer-time and (at the weekend) folk travel from the urban conurbations in North West England to the Lake District: People could catch this nasty virus and spread it further. So it is a Public Health concern that folk living in the North West (outside Cumbria) are warned about the rise in cases in Cumbria, not just Cumbrian viewers of BBC and ITV Regional Television in the North West. Prestonians, warned about the virus in Blackburn- and who fancy a day out of Preston could hop on the train and- in an hour (or just over)- be in Carlisle. Whose duty is it to warn them, lest they pick up a potentially deadly virus unawares?
BBC North West Tonight’s apparent refusal to cover anything, even quite serious news, just outside their transmission area is not acceptable when lives could be at stake.
BBC Look North (North East/ Cumbria) also did no better in tonight’s bulletin: It actually broadcasts to Carlisle and northern Cumbria yet the entire five-minute bulletin was taken up with the death- at 85 years of age- of Jack Charlton- brother of famous footballer Sir Bobby Charlton: Both were part of the England Team in 1966, when England won the World Cup. He was (and is) undoubtedly a football legend; however there is a Public Health crisis and folk who live not just in northern Cumbria but as far east as Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead need to be warned about a spike in Coronavirus cases in Carlisle lest Geordies visit Carlisle on a day out (or go to the Lake District over the weekend) and bring the virus back to the North East of England unawares!
