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Lockdown easing in parts of Greater Manchester halted after cases rise
Image source, PA Media
Parts of Greater Manchester will not have lockdown restrictions eased as planned, the government has announced.
Rules in Bolton and Trafford were due to be eased overnight after a fall in Covid-19 cases earlier in August.
But they will "now remain under existing restrictions" following "a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days", the government said.
Local lockdown restrictions were brought in in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire at the start of August following a rise in cases there.
The rules ban people from meeting indoors.
Health and Care Secretary Matt Hancock said the decision to keep them in place was made "in collaboration with local leaders after reviewing the latest data" which showed infection rates more than trebled in Bolton and doubled in Trafford.
Image source, PA Media
It comes after Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, urged residents of those boroughs to not have social gatherings at home.
He said people across the whole of Greater Manchester should "continue to minimise mixing in the home", saying it was safer "for your family to do that".
Bolton has one of the highest rates of new virus cases per 100,000 residents in England.
According to government rules, socialising in groups of up to two households indoors or private gardens is still banned for people in Bolton, Trafford, Manchester, Salford, Rochdale, Bury and Tameside. In Oldham people are advised not to meet up with other households outdoors as well.
Image source, Reuters
Mr Burnham said he was asking the government to "talk to us today about an exit strategy from this".
He said blanket restrictions had become less effective so "targeted interventions at a community level" need to be introduced, particularly "door-to-door interventions to do testing, tracing and messaging".
He also requested financial support to help people self-isolating.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "We are working closely with leaders and local authorities across Greater Manchester and Lancashire in response to the changing situation and we keep all local restrictions under constant consideration."