Covid in Bolton: 'We're hoping that things will turn round'

The town is seeing a surge in cases of the Indian variant of coronavirus

Bolton has the highest rate of Covid-19 infections in England, prompting a roll-out of surge testing in the town.

On Tuesday, the mayor of Greater Manchester asked the government for everyone over the age of 16 in the region to get a Covid vaccine to curb the spread of the Indian variant.

Andy Burnham said it came after a "worrying" spike of cases in Bolton among the under-25s, which has seen cases double in a week.

The prime minister's spokesman said surge vaccinations have not been ruled out as a way to deal with the rise.

Martin McLoughlin said it has been a difficult time for the town

Martin McLoughlin has been volunteering throughout the pandemic for local charity Bolton NICE, delivering food and furniture to people in need.

He said he believed the town "has just been very unlucky", but added that the situation was undoubtedly "moving in the wrong direction".

"I don't know what more the council can do. They are doing their best.

"It's a uphill struggle but we're hoping that things will turn round at some point."

Louise Whittington (above left) says everyone has been "significantly impacted by the pandemic"

At the Community Grocery food supplier, the mood was similar.

Store manager Louise Whittington said people in the town were "nervous about the future", but remained hopeful.

"No-one has said much about what restrictions will or won't be, but I think that's because we have got used to things changing," she said.

The store, which is run in partnership with The Message Trust and Kings Church Bolton, only opened eight weeks ago and has seen more than 600 members sign up.

Ms Whittington said regardless of what happened in the future, "everyone I have spoken to - including volunteers - has been significantly impacted by the pandemic".

Alsion Lowe said those who are vulnerable are "staying at home to stay safe"

Alison Lowe, who works for Bolton Dementia Support, said the current situation was "worrying", especially for those who are most vulnerable.

She said she had witnessed firsthand the impact the virus has had on those who have had to isolate.

"The people we support have really struggled during lockdown," she said.

"It's really important for people who are living with dementia...to keep social contact, routine and stimulation to keep the cognitive deterioration at bay for as long as possible.

"[But] for the people we support and the age group, they're really concerned about going out.

"From what I can gather, they are staying at home to stay safe.

She added that she believed the government guidelines need to be clearer to avoid confusion.

• Town's Covid surge leaves hospitality nervous

• What is the India Covid variant?

• Over-18s to get vaccine amid Indian variant spike

Labour councillor Mohammed Ayub represents Great Lever, which has seen a cluster of Covid-19 cases.

He said the council had been doing "everything possible" to suppress the virus.

"We are doing our best to hopefully keep it under control," he said, adding that he believed the main cause of the rise in cases in the area was due to the "Indian variant coming from abroad".

Bolton Council said everyone living or working in Rumworth, Deane or Great Lever areas was being "urged to attend a Mobile Testing Unit... to help identify asymptomatic people who may be spreading the virus without realising it".

It added in a statement that the rising infection rate served "as a reminder to everyone in Bolton that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over".

Analysis

By Rob England, BBC England Data Unit

As the rest of the country looks towards the easing of restrictions, the message from public health officials in Bolton at the moment is clear - coronavirus has not gone away.

Public Health England has identified the area as having a high concentration of the so-called Indian variant, thought to be at least as transmissible as the Kent variant, one of those behind January's surge in cases.

The town currently has the highest infection rate of anywhere in England, before Erewash in Derbyshire. But while Erewash's outbreak seems to be subsiding, Bolton's is still increasing.

Recent provisional figures suggest at least 123 cases were recorded on 10 May, the highest so far in the town's outbreak.

There seems to be a cluster of areas of particular concern, Rumworth, Deane and Great Lever, all of whom, are recording high infection rates compared to similar sized neighbourhoods across the rest of the country.

It will come as no surprise that surge testing and an enhanced vaccination drive has been deployed in these areas.

Officials are keen to stress that testing and vaccinations are the best defence against this new variant spreading.

For the past month though, Covid hospital admissions to Bolton NHS Trust have remained stable, while more than half of adults in the areas are estimated to have had a first vaccine dose.

So, it's unclear if this outbreak is having a serious impact on people's health.