How Has Portsmouth coped with the pandemic?
Portsmouth is a city located in Southeast England and is around 70 miles Southwest of England. Portsmouth is a port city, and is the United Kingdom’s only Island city, as it is located on the island of Portsea. This island was built to be a port, and as result of this Portsmouth has the world's oldest surviving dry dock that is still in active use, which was built by Henry VII in 1495.
Portsmouth became a heavily industrialised city by the 19th century, as the world’s first mass-production line was set up in Portsmouth Dockyard’s Block Mills; this made it the world’s most industrialised site, and the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
So, how has the industrial, historic city managed to cope with the pandemic? Well, at the time of writing, there have been 365 total deaths in Portsmouth from corona virus cases. In addition to this, there have been 15,344 people with at least one positive covid 19 test results. Also, there is 98,578 people have had their second covid 19 vaccination dose. In terms of an average, over the last 7 days, there has been 147.5 people with a positive corona virus test out of 100,000 people.
However, there has been a steady decline in these numbers as well, and in the last 7 days in Portsmouth, there has been 0 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test. This is because Portsmouth is abiding by the government guidelines, which has also allowed Portsmouth’s top attractions to be re-opened to the public.
A fitting example of this is the Spinnaker tower. This is a 170-metre-tall tower that offers the most amazing view in the whole of Portsmouth. You can see Portsmouth Harbour, the city, the Solent, the South Downs, and the Isle of Wight all from this glass tower. The tower also has a high-speed lift and three sky-high viewing decks.
Visitors can walk across the sky walk, which is a glass floor, located one hundred metres above sea level, and you can also look at the surrounding sites and view them from there touch screen displays. There is also “Altitude” which is a virtual reality experience like no other, and an open-air sky garden when you take in all those jaw dropping views.
There is also a café where you can enjoy a coffee, a glass of bubbly or a decadent High Tea. Enjoy delicious meals made with locally sourced ingredients. Further information on how to book the Spinnaker Tower and other features can be found on their website.
If the thrill of the tower is not up your street, then perhaps the National Museum of the Royal Navy is. This museum features objects from the past 350 years and looks at how sailors have evolved from wooden walls to the sailors of today. The museum has a sailing gallery which shows the realities of fighting at sea in the age of sail. Other galleries include the Nelson Gallery examines Nelson’s colourful, crowded, and short life and the Sir Donald Gosling Victory Gallery explores the history of Britain’s most famous warship from the laying of her keel to her significant battles. There are also plans to be developed for a new diving exhibit as well.
Further information on bookings and other attractions at the museum can be found on their website.
Overall, Portsmouth, much like most of the country, has coped well with the recent pandemic. Attractions have managed to re-open, and the rolling out of vaccines has resulted in fewer deaths and cases of the corona virus vaccine. Portsmouth is now a wonderful place to visit for both locals and tourists alike.
