Advertisement
Bolton s Indian coronavirus variant outbreak may have started to flatten out, latest data from the Government s Covid dashboard suggests.
MailOnline s analysis of Department of Health figures show positive tests appear to have plateaued in the borough for the first time in a month, following a period of exponential growth fuelled by the mutant B.1.617.2 strain in April and early May.
Figures show Bolton s rolling seven-day average number of infections was about 185 on May 17, the most recent date for which data is available, after dropping slightly the day before (from 178 to 177). Before that, infections had risen sharply every day since April 19, when there were just 17 positive tests each day, on average.
Last modified on Tue 25 May 2021 14.53 EDT
The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, has accused the government of imposing âlocal lockdowns by stealthâ and called for guidance limiting travel in and out of Covid hotspots to be withdrawn.
There was confusion on Tuesday after leaders in Bolton and Leicester encouraged residents to in effect ignore new government advice to not leave their local area, while a government minister said people should âuse their common senseâ.
Boltonâs Conservative council leader said residents should not cancel their half-term and bank holiday breaks. They were free to travel âif they behave sensibly and follow the guidanceâ, said David Greenhalgh.
Covid: Royal Bolton hospital taking urgent action over virus bbc.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Government advises against travel in and out of Bolton as hospital numbers rise to 43
It is understood local leaders and local public health directors in Bolton were unaware of the guidance
Updated
The video will auto-play soon8Cancel
Play now
According to the guidance, journeys to and from areas affected by the Indian variant throughout the UK should be avoided, unless essential .
Exemptions include work - if you cannot work from home - and education. The information is believed to have been published at Gov.uk last week (May 21), but does not appear to have been accompanied by an official announcement.