Covid delays queen of soul Patti’s Portsmouth gig
SOUL singer Patti Boulaye has had her Portsmouth gig postponed until next year because of a surge in Covid-19 across the region.
It was to have taken place at the New Theatre Royal on Saturday, September 10, but is now billed for February 13, 2022.
Patti told The Globe’s Leslie Mitchell this week: “I was so looking forward to performing at this iconic theatre again, my memories of it as the first theatre in my UK tour as Carmen in ‘Carmen Jones’ are many and wonderful.
“I am thrilled, however, that we have set a new date for the show on 13th February 2022 and I am looking forward to that and to seeing all my friends in Portsmouth on that day.”
Infection rates
On Thursday, the BBC website’s Local News page gave a breakdown of the latest cases of coronavirus in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. It shows that infection rates across the Portsmouth area – particularly in Gosport and Fareham – are continuing to rise.
The figures are the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the seven days up to and including August 21, compared with the week before, shown in brackets.
The breakdown of the figures by local authority area is:
- Southampton – 352 (down from 374)
- Portsmouth – 409 (up from 345)
- Rushmoor – 289 (up from 279)
- Gosport – 374 (up from 371)
- Havant – 366 (up from 262)
- Winchester – 342 (up from 249)
- Fareham – 333 (up from 297)
- New Forest – 279 (up from 233)
- Basingstoke and Deane – 280 (up from 282)
- East Hampshire – 324 (up from 233)
- Eastleigh – 368 (up from 321)
- Test Valley – 313 (up from 289)
- Hart – 321 (up from 244)
- Isle of Wight – 420 (up from 408)
For comparison, the figure for England is 329 (up from 309). The latest update, on Wednesday, August 25, comes from the government’s coronavirus dashboard.
