Health chiefs take action after surge in covid cases in Bolton
Video report by Rob Smith.
Enhanced testing and a vaccine drive are among the measures being rolled out in Bolton after a surge in Covid infections.
The number of cases in the town has almost doubled week-on-week, the latest Public Health England figures show.
Bolton's infection rate is currently 133.5 cases per 100,000 people - that's the second highest in the UK.
Leaflets, translated materials and interpreters are being used to share vital messages with everyone in the community.
Council workers are also working with community leaders and voluntary organisations to ensure it engages with as many residents as possible.
The Director of Public Health, Dr Helen Lowey, said in a press conference that vaccination is “key” and “increasing uptake” is important.
The rise in cases is primarily among five to 20-year-olds, according to Dr Lowey.
Local GP Dr Helen Wall, the senior official in charge of the town’s vaccination programme, said they were 'upping our efforts'.
New measures include a bus which has a mobile vaccine centre where people do not need an appointment.
And Dr Rauf Munshi, a consultant at Royal Bolton Hospital, said most of its Covid wards have turned back into “normal wards” thanks to the vaccine programme.
But he noted that although Covid cases in the hospital remain low and are not rising, there is an increase in those they are caring for within the community.
Anyone who is living, working or studying in the Rumworth, Deane or Great Lever areas who does not have Covid-19 symptoms is strongly urged to attend one of the council's mobile testing unites this week for a PCR test.
Mobile testing units can be found at:
Memory Lane Wedding Venue, Gilnow Lane (BL3 5EL)
Makkah Mosque, Grecian Crescent (BL3 6QU)
Home PCR test kits will also be available for collection and return at:
Deane Road Temple (Shree Swaminarayan Mandir), 161 Deane Road (BL3 5AH)
The mobile testing units and Deane Road Temple will be open 7 days a week, 10am until 4pm.
People in the areas affected will also be contacted to ensure they know how to get the vaccine if they're eligible.
There were 384 positive Covid-19 tests in Bolton in the week ending 6 May. It was 182 more - a 90% increase - than the previous seven days.
On Monday PHE said the majority of UK cases linked to a new strain of the virus first detected in India have been found in Bolton and London.
The strain has been escalated to a 'variant of concern', PHE said.
But, as yet, it doesn't appear to be leading to an increase in infections in neighbouring boroughs of Greater Manchester
Bury and Wigan currently have two of the lowest infection rates in Greater Manchester, while Salford's rate is also falling and currently stands at less than a quarter of the rate in Bolton.
In Greater Manchester as a whole, the infection rate is now 41.3 cases per 100,000 population.
The national average is 21.5 cases per 100,000 people.