| Good evening, Welcome to another day and another wave of extra pressure on the wavering Covid-testing system after what the Prime Minister yesterday termed a “colossal spike” in demand. Boris Johnson acknowledged the anger around the demand for tests but said capacity was being increased and said the Government wanted 500,000 tests a day by the end of October. The problem is, we need them now. The North West is struggling. The number of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus in England is highest here in the North West - and the highest since the beginning of July. And as the Government draws up a list setting out who will be at the front of the queue, here in Lancashire frustrations are bubbling over. In Preston we are dealing with the reality of the highest infection rate since lockdown began and in South Ribble, there is a lack of local testing stations. In Blackpool, the public health director Arif Rajpura has not minced his words, labelling the system as “quite frankly inadequate”. Across the county the issue of schools sending home children because of a positive test amongst their peers then asking for a negative test so they can return is becoming key. The Education Secretary has described this approach as ‘unsustainable’. We need change - fast. As always all the latest news is at lep.co.uk - thank you for your support. If you wish to subscribe, we'd be even more grateful, as you would be helping ensure the sustainability of local news into the future. Regards and enjoy what's left of Wednesday. Nicola Adam Deputy editor | 
