​Lockdown is on our doorstep as infection rate doubles

Bury is in danger of further lockdown as the number of coronavirus cases has doubled in just one week.

With 113 new cases recorded in the seven days to 5 September, the infection rate has shot up from 25.8 to 59.4 per 100,000 – more than double the national average.

Bury has now joined most of Greater Manchester in the ‘red zone’, putting us at risk of further Government intervention.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “These new figures are quite alarming, and show us how rapidly this virus can spread.

“We need to get this rate down urgently, or we risk being placed into the kind of additional measures that Bolton has seen this week, and other areas from Oldham to Rochdale and Leicester.

“Venues like pubs, cafes and restaurants have worked tremendously hard to get back to business following the lockdown. The last thing they need is to be forced to close again, like those in Bolton, putting jobs and livelihoods at risk.”

Cases are still concentrated in younger working age adults, who made up more than two-fifths of all cases. The proportion of cases that were in people who identified as British has increased and the proportion in people who identified as Pakistani has continued to decrease.

The largest number of new cases (38) was again recorded in Whitefield, but cases are spread across all five neighbourhood areas of the borough.

The rise is not linked to testing - there were fewer tests in Bury (2,387) last week than in the previous week (2,608), but the positivity rate has doubled from 2.5% to 5%.

Household transmission remains an important source of new infections, and acts as an amplifier of infections elsewhere in the community.

Cllr Simpson added: “This illness passes easily, quickly and from person to person and the only way we are going to stop it spreading is to stay apart – wash your hands, wear a face mask where required, and keep your distance from others.

“We must stick to the rules if we are to drive this illness out of our community.”

Remember - in Bury:

• you must not meet people you do not live with inside a private home or garden.
• you must not visit someone else’s home or garden - even if they live outside the affected areas.
• you should not socialise with people you do not live with in other indoor public venues – such as pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions.
• Face coverings must be worn in shops/supermarkets, public transport, banks and post offices, cinemas/theatres, places of workshop, libraries/museums and community centres.
• Wash your hands frequently and stay two metres apart wherever possible.

From next Monday, the Government is bringing in tougher restrictions across the whole of England. Social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal, indoors and outdoors, unless where a single household or support bubble is larger than six, or where the gathering is for work or education purposes.

ENDS

Press release issued: 9 September 2020.

Note to editors:

Bury’s data is based on the number of confirmed cases, which explains why it differs from Greater Manchester/England data which is based on positive tests (which may include multiple tests on the same person).

The four-week summary in Bury:

Week ending 5 September: infection rate 59.4 (113 new cases)

Week ending 29 August: infection rate 25.8 (49 cases)

Week ending 22 August: infection rate 35.2 (67 cases)

Week ending 15 August: infection rate 33.1 (63 cases)

New case breakdown by neighbourhood (week ending 5 September):

Bury North: 18 cases (infection rate 42.0)

Bury East: 12 cases (32.9)

Bury West (includes Radcliffe): 18 cases (39.6)

Whitefield: 38 cases (126.5)

Prestwich: 27 cases (76.8)