Covid: 'Strengthened package of support' for Greater Manchester and Lancashire to tackle rise in Delta variant

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Video report by Rachel Townsend on the latest government guidance

A "strengthened package of support" will be provided for Greater Manchester and Lancashire to tackle a rise in the Delta variant of coronavirus, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs.

A "strengthened package of support" will be provided for Greater Manchester and Lancashire Credit: ITV

Greater Manchester is poised to get extra vaccinations, military support, and a school mask-wearing rule to drive down coronavirus case rates.

Read more: Covid Delta variant: People in Lancashire and Greater Manchester advised by government to 'minimise travel'

The Health Secretary spoke as numbers in most areas have begun doubling week-on-week and hospital admissions have started to rise.

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The move is likely to come with the same travel guidance as Bolton where people are urged to minimise travel in and out of the area.

The town has seen a sustained drop in infection rates after its intensive, government-supported push to drive vaccinations and testing, with help from the military.

Covid Delta variant: People in Lancashire and Greater Manchester advised by government to 'minimise travel' Credit: ITV

This new variant, which is sometimes referred to as the Delta variant, is spreading fastest in:

Greater Manchester Combined Authority

  • Bolton

  • Bury

  • Manchester

  • Oldham

  • Rochdale

  • Salford

  • Stockport

  • Tameside

  • Trafford

  • Wigan

Lancashire County Council

  • Burnley

  • Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

  • Chorley

  • Fylde

  • Hyndburn

  • Lancaster

  • Pendle

  • Preston

  • Ribble Valley

  • Rossendale

  • South Ribble

  • West Lancashire

  • Wyre

It comes as the number of covid patients in Manchester's hospitals has almost doubled over the weekend.

Across Greater Manchester - including MUFT - the number of covid patients in hospitals rose from around 130 patients on Friday to 165 today. The numbers in critical care across the city region increased from 17 to just over 30 over the weekend.

According to internal data, obtained by the Health Service Journal, Covid occupancy at Manchester University Foundation Trust stood at 49 this morning, up from 27 on Friday morning. The number of covid patients in critical care increased from six to 10.

At its peak last spring, Manchester University Foundation Trust had around 430 covid patients Credit: PA

At its peak last spring, Manchester University Foundation Trust had around 430 covid patients.

The trust runs Manchester Royal Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital.

There have also been reports of high numbers of pregnant women being admitted with covid.

It comes after several weeks of increasing positive case rates in the region, particularly in Bolton Credit: ITV

There have been several weeks of increasing positive case rates in the region, particularly in Bolton. Bolton FT saw a surge in covid occupancy in the second half of May. This appeared to peak at around 50 on 29 May, and today stood at 38.

There have been widespread concerns that high community transmission rates would spread across Greater Manchester and the wider North West region.

Covid bed occupancy in the wider North West region increased by more than 20 percent over the weekend, driven largely by Greater Manchester, from around 200 patients to 245.

It comes after several weeks of increasing positive case rates in the region Credit: ITV

Another source in the wider Greater Manchester region said:

It comes as the government considers the next steps in its removal of lockdown measures, and has asserted that the link between growing cases and hospital admissions has been "broken but not severed".

MUFT declined to comment, while a spokeswoman for the Greater Manchester integrated care system told the Heaslth Service Journal: