Covid-19 : Why are cases rapidly rising in Bolton and is the Indian variant to blame?
New coronavirus cases involving the Indian variant have more than doubled in a week as surge testing gets underway in many parts of the North West to try and stop the spread.
Bolton has recorded the highest rates in the country with cases of the variant, known as B16172, continuing to sharply rise.
Mobile testing units have been deployed and door-to-door PCR Covid testing has been offered to 22,000 residents.
A vaccine bus has also been set up to increase uptake among those who are eligible, and a rapid response team of 100 nurses, public health advisers and environmental health officers has been sent in by the Government.
WHY BOLTON?
One of the town's MPs Yasmin Qureshi says she believes the rise is due to a number of residents in the area coming from economically and socially deprived backgrounds.
She added that many lived in "very small houses" which are often multigenerational, and were unable to work from home, instead working in places such as busy factories or kitchens where they are surrounded by people, enhancing the spread of the virus.
Residents also rely on public transport more than other regions, she said.
The Labour MP for Bolton South East said a lack of incentive to self-isolate was also to blame for the rise in cases.
Ms Qureshi said many residents worked non-fixed hours short term contracts, which mean little, or no help, is available to them if they have to self-isolate.
"For many people there is no reason why they should have to be tested twice a week if they are going to spend 10 days in self-isolation because I've had constituents write to me saying 'where's the money going to come from?'"
The government currently offers a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment for people on low incomes who have to self-isolate due to coronavirus, but Ms Qureshi says this is not enough for many and does not cover the multiple expenses residents are paying.
IS THIS THE FIRST TIME BOLTON HAS BEEN AFFECTED?
It is not the first time the town has been in the spotlight for Covid cases, following an easing of restrictions in summer last year, cases spiked once more in September - with the case rates tripling in just seven days.
At the time the country was under different local lockdown restrictions, and leaders from the town pleaded with the government to ensure measures continued to curb the rising numbers.
In January the staff working at the Royal Bolton Hospital said the care they were able to give patients was suffering because they are so stretched by Covid as cases rose once more.
WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?
Council teams are going door-to-door in the Rumworth, Deane and Great Lever areas, speaking to residents and urging them to get tested.
The Army has also been deployed to help drive down rising rates by managing the response on the ground, with mobile surge testing units, as well as handing out tests on the streets.
Analysis of data published by Public Health England shows that the spike in cases is mostly confined to schoolchildren and young adults.
Dr Andrew Furber, Public Health England's North West Regional Director says figures are concerning.
He said: "We're watching the numbers very, very closely, at the moment the numbers are relatively small in the grand scheme of things and they're not resulting in a lot of more severe disease or people ending up in hospital.
"But never the less they're growing at a very concerning rate so we're doing all we can to try and get those numbers down such as surging the testing.
"The testing arrangements that places like Bolton and Blackburn and Sefton have undertaken have been really good but now is the time to push and do more and that's why the surge testing is going into Formby and has gone into Bolton and will be appearing in other places in the North West.
"It's really important that if people get the offer of a test they take that up. They should be taking testing regularly."
On localised lockdowns, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to rule out, Dr Furber said it would be "the last thing anyone wants".
He said: "Obviously that needs to remain an option but at the moment I don't think we're at that stage I think we need to do everything we can to avoid another lockdown, that's the last thing that anybody wants, which is why it's really important that people stick to the rules, and take up the offer of a vaccine."
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