THE grim reality of life during the Covid-19 pandemic in Worcester has begun to bite, the streets half-empty and the window displays at Debenhams cleared as the store closes its doors for good.

Worcester city centre made for a forlorn sight today with more bleak milestones reached in the UK's battle with the virus. While hospital beds fill up with Covid patients across the country, the bare windows of the department store in Worcester also stood as a symbol of the economic ravages of the pandemic much closer to home.

The Worcester News understands that staff at the city's Debenhams were made redundant during a conference call last week, with some workers left in tears.

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Coronavirus has now claimed more than 80,000 lives in the UK with a new, more infectious variant sweeping the country and the terrible economic toll becoming even more apparent in the city.

The infection rate in Worcester was 601.6 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to January 3 - higher than anywhere else in the county. A total of 609 cases were recorded in Worcester in the last seven days we reported on Friday.

The city's rate increased by 188 per cent in the last week according to Public Health England.

However, despite the country being in the grip of a third draconian national lockdown there were still people of all ages in Worcester City Centre this weekend, albeit in significantly reduced numbers.

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The decision to impose the new measures follows a rapid rise in infections, hospital admissions and case rates across the country, and hospitals are now under more pressure than they have been at any other point throughout the pandemic.

As previously reported, Debenhams started a liquidation process after JD Sports confirmed it had pulled out of a possible rescue deal, putting 12,000 workers at risk.

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The 242-year-old department store chain said its administrators have “regretfully” decided to start winding down operations while continuing to seek offers “for all or parts of the business”.

It is understood that the collapse of rescue talks were partly linked to the administration of Arcadia Group, which is the biggest operator of concessions in Debenhams stores.

Geoff Rowley, of FRP Advisory, joint administrator to Debenhams, said: “All reasonable steps were taken to complete a transaction that would secure the future of Debenhams.

“However, the economic landscape is extremely challenging and, coupled with the uncertainty facing the UK retail industry, a viable deal could not be reached."

Meanwhile, a short distance away Nevitt in Broad Street still carries the banners of its closing down sale.

The former Game shop in Broad Street also stands vacant, the ghostly outline of the lettering still visible. Nice Stitches in Broad Street carries 'to let sign' in the window while BrightHouse also stands empty after the company sank into administration in March last year.