A STRIKING photograph taken during rush hour in Basingstoke shows how much has changed in under a month.Victoria Street at the Top of Town is usually flooded with cars, buses and commuters at 8.30am on any given weekday.

And yet this image, captured yesterday morning, showed the street completely deserted save for one car. The scene highlights the new normal for Basingstoke as the town adjusts to week two of the national lockdown.

The vast majority of schools, shops and restaurants are now closed with residents heed the government’s advice to stay home.

There are now an estimated 567 known Covid-19 cases in Hampshire while locally, 14 people have died.

Also in this week's Gazette:

  • Statistics show the spread of coronavirus across the country, with Hampshire near the top. The Gazette have looked into the statistics, which puts Hampshire second in the list of upper-tier local authorities in terms of the number of Covid-19 cases.
  • A team at Basingstoke hospital working on testing of Covid-19 had a “breakthrough” on Saturday when they managed to reduce the testing time down to five minutes.
  • A 92-year-old Basingstoke woman has made a remarkable recovery from coronavirus after being admitted to hospital a week ago.
  • A shop has apologised to a grandmother of 14 after she was banned from entering during the coronavirus pandemic.
  • A mother from Tadley who was hit from behind by a driver high on cocaine has spoken out about the crash that put her and her children’s lives at risk.
  • A kind-hearted tree surgeon has come to the aid of an elderly man who was unable to use his garden as a storm took down his 10 foot tree earlier this year.
  • Over half of all Freedom of Information requests sent to Hampshire Constabulary over the previous four years have been refused either in full or in part, new data has revealed.
  • Two pages of news from your communities.
  • Three pages of news from our districts, including Tadley, Whitchurch and Hook.
  • Two pages of business news
  • Three pages of entertainment news
  • March's best photos from our camera club
  • A bumper eight pages of puzzles
  • This weekend's TV guide

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