Infection rates fall for third week in Rochdale and Greater Manchester

Rochdale's infection rate has fallen for the third week in a row, alongside the rate for Greater Manchester, as the number of people in Greater Manchester to have received a Covid vaccine has exceeded 1.3 million.

There were 41.4 confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the Rochdale borough and an average of 37.4  cases per 100,000 people in the city-region in the week ending 17 April, which is still higher than the England national average.

Oldham was the only borough in Greater Manchester to report more than 50 cases per 100,000 people.

Figures are also available for the over 60s and the case rate in Rochdale for those aged over 60 was 16.4 in the week ending 16 April, while the average rate in Greater Manchester for the over 60s was 13.6 during the same period.

 

 

Sir Richard Leese, chair of the health and social care partnership in Greater Manchester, said: “The vast majority of premises that have reopened have been really well managed.

“The people using them almost overwhelmingly are following the guidelines and keeping themselves and other people safe.

“We need to keep doing that so when we get to the next staging post in the roadmap, we’re able to move to the next bit of unlocking. 

“It does depend, to a large extent, on us and how we behave.”

A total of 1,308,275 first vaccine doses have been handed out in Greater Manchester, including almost all over-70s (94%) and 85% of people aged 50 to 69.

Almost three quarters of over 70s have had a second jab as of 21 April, rising from 57% coverage to 72% within a week.

Greater Manchester could reach complete vaccine coverage by the middle of May if the same rate of vaccination continues, according to Sir Richard.

The Manchester council leader added: “It’s really important that as many people as possible get their second vaccination as soon as they are able to do so.”

 

 

Covid patients currently occupy three per cent of all hospital beds in Greater Manchester, with hospitals seeing the number of intensive care patients and weekly admissions falling again in the week to 21 April.

Less than one per cent of care home residents have Covid, or have shown symptoms of the virus, for a third consecutive week.

Niall Griffiths, Local Democracy Reporter