28 August 2026

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Coronavirus

All the latest, fact-checked news about COVID-19 (coronavirus) and how it is affecting Bedford, Bedford Town, Bedford Borough, Bedford businesses and Bedford people in one place.
For the latest coronavirus stats in Bedford, please read:
Coronavirus: latest confirmed cases in Bedford Borough
As we publish news articles relating to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on Bedford, they will be added to this archive for easy access.

All of the team at Bedford Independent live in and around Bedford Borough and we aim to report on the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on local people, local business and local economy.

Please check & follow the latest Government Advice and, if you suspect you have symptoms, follow the NHS guidelines.

Affected businesses urged to apply for new Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant

Hospitality and leisure businesses that have been adversely affected by Omicron are being encouraged to apply for support funding. After the government announced...

Councillor calls for COVID guidelines clarification

A Bedford councillor has called for more clarification on the Government’s Covid guidance. One of the amendments made for England over Christmas was that those who test positive for Coronavirus...

LFT deliveries expected in Bedford “at any moment” as COVID cases reach “astonishing” levels

Bedford is experiencing "astonishing" levels of COVID cases with numbers reaching a record high and rates of infection rising in all age groups. Yet we're still experiencing a Lateral Flow...

Bedford auction house sells free NHS lateral flow tests in bulk amid national shortage

The morality of a Bedford auction house has been questioned after bulk lots of free NHS lateral flow tests were discovered for sale on their website. This raises questions of ethicacy...

Bedford Heights Covid vaccination centre to close over Christmas and New Year

The Bedford Heights vaccination centre will temporarily close from 25th – 26th December and 1st-2nd January.Large vaccination centres across Luton, and Milton Keynes will also close...

32 care home staff leave roles because of mandatory COVID vaccine

32 care home staff in Bedford Borough did not get vaccinated by November’s deadline, but it is not known how many were redeployed within the sector. Kate Walker…

Unclear opening times as residents turned away from Manton Lane vaccine centre

Bedford Borough residents looking for a drop-in vaccination should be given clearer instructions to ensure that they are not are turned away from COVID vaccination...

Vaccine support programme found housebound residents ‘slipped through the net’

A vaccination support programme to contact Bedford borough residents who haven’t had a Covid jab discovered housebound residents who had slipped through...

“Lateral flow testing should be daily routine” says Bedford health chief

Lateral flow testing should be part of people’s daily routine, says a Bedford Borough Council health chief. He made the suggestion amid an increase in Covid-related deaths...

Number of omicron cases doubling every two to three days in Bedford Borough

It’s too early to say whether the omicron variant is more severe than other variants, but if cases rise rapidly it could be enough to overwhelm the NHS, a meeting heard...