Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says Covid restrictions are driving down new infections

Andy Burnham has said the coronavirus restrictions in Greater Manchester are working and driving down case numbers amid fears of a second national lockdown if Britain sees rise in cases similar to Spain. 

The Greater Manchester mayor told the BBC that the numbers were beginning to ‘move in the right direction’ and hoped more boroughs could soon be released from restrictions.

Lockdown regulations were imposed across the North West after seeing a rise in new infections, with Mr Burnham saying on Saturday that the restrictions were starting to work and had been put in place for good reason. 

Mr Burnham’s comments come after a senior official warned that Britain could go into a second national lockdown if it sees a rise in cases like Spain.

Figures published on Friday show there were 71.7 new cases per 100,000 people in Oldham, Greater Manchester, in the seven days to August 18, down from 112.2 over the previous seven days.

Pendle, which is in second place behind Oldham, has a rate of 67.3, down from 108.6. 

Andy Burnham (above) said the strict lockdown restrictions in Greater Manchester are seeing infection numbers beginning to ‘move in the right direction’, as he hopes boroughs could soon be released from the regulations 

Figures published on Friday show there were 71.7 new cases per 100,000 people in Oldham in the seven days to August 18, down from 112.2 over the previous seven days. Pictured, Oldham shops on August 20

Figures published on Friday show there were 71.7 new cases per 100,000 people in Oldham in the seven days to August 18, down from 112.2 over the previous seven days. Pictured, Oldham shops on August 20

Speaking on BBC News on Saturday, Mr Burnham said: ‘I think we are beginning to see the numbers move in the right direction and that includes Oldham, which saw a noticeable fall in the number of cases this week, and we have begun to see falls in other Greater Manchester boroughs as well.

‘We had the restrictions introduced about three weeks ago and I would say we have begun to see these restrictions are now working, so fingers crossed we can see more boroughs released from these measures soon.

‘But on the whole we think it was right to put these restrictions in and hopefully people can see now they were put in for a good reason.’

Ministers said Wigan, Darwen and Rossendale have seen cases drop and will soon be released from lockdown rules currently enforced in Greater Manchester as well as parts of Lancashire and West Yorkshire. 

But households in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn were banned from socialising together from midnight on Saturday after the Government announced drastic new measures to tackle spiralling coronavirus outbreaks in the three authorities.

On Friday, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told residents not to socialise with anyone outside their household from Saturday.

Number 10 agreed the tougher restrictions with council bosses, warning that infection rates are still rising despite ‘dedicated efforts’ to contain the virus. Officials stopped short of imposing full localised lockdowns and ordering businesses to shut, which local leaders warned would have been ‘catastrophic’ for already-struggling firms.  

The new rules will not prevent people from going shopping, going to work or attending child-care settings including schools, which are due to reopen from September 1. 

Social activities both indoors and outdoors can only be shared with people who live together.

The number of people who can attend weddings and funerals is recommended to be limited to household members and close family and no more than 20 people. Local restaurants are being told not to allow walk-ins and to only seat people who have made reservations in advance – with a maximum of six people per table.  

Households in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn will be banned from socialising together from Saturday after the Government announced drastic new measures to tackle spiralling coronavirus outbreaks in the three authorities

Households in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn will be banned from socialising together from Saturday after the Government announced drastic new measures to tackle spiralling coronavirus outbreaks in the three authorities

A Northampton sandwich factory that supplies M&S - where almost 300 workers have tested positive for the coronavirus - was shut down on Friday and all employees and their households must isolate for two-weeks, or face being fined

A Northampton sandwich factory that supplies M&S – where almost 300 workers have tested positive for the coronavirus – was shut down on Friday and all employees and their households must isolate for two-weeks, or face being fined

It was also announced that Birmingham is being added to a watch list as an ‘area of enhanced support’ and Northampton becomes an ‘area of intervention’.

The Government said a rise in people testing positive for coronavirus in Oldham, Blackburn and Pendle was due to ‘social mixing’, particularly among 20 to 39-year-olds.

Leaders across the North West have also slammed the strict coronavirus restrictions, saying they have been imposed without ‘detailed guidance’ and have caused confusion.

Labour leader of Pendle Council Mohammed Iqbal previously told the BBC’s Today programme that the restrictions, which the council argued against, had been ‘imposed’ to ‘punish people who have been testing flat out’.

He added: ‘The Government has announced these tightening restrictions for local people in my area, yet they have not issued any detailed guidance as to how it will operate, who will police it.

‘So local people are actually more confused than they were on Thursday evening.’

Greater Manchester Police used social media on Saturday to tell people not to call 999 or 101 for clarification about Covid-19 measures.

The force were criticised for breaking up a children’s birthday party, but Mr Burnham said police were in a ‘no-win’ situation as they have to enforce the restrcitions. 

He said: ‘It’s a difficult one, the police are getting criticised both ways.

‘The rules are the rules. I know how frustrating it is for people but if they [police] say they’ll turn a blind eye there, then people will say why there and not over here?’

The tighter restrictions were announced by the DHSC as holidaymakers scrambled to get home to beat new quarantine measures.

Travellers arriving in the UK from Croatia from 4am on Saturday will have to self-isolate for 14 days. A spike in new coronavirus cases led the Government to remove the country from its safe travel list. 

The Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) estimates the R value - the average number of people each coronavirus patient infects - is now between 0.9 and 1.1, up from last week's prediction that it was hovering around 0.8 and 1.0

The Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) estimates the R value – the average number of people each coronavirus patient infects – is now between 0.9 and 1.1, up from last week’s prediction that it was hovering around 0.8 and 1.0

And a Northampton sandwich factory that supplies M&S – where almost 300 workers have tested positive for the coronavirus – was also shut down on Friday. All employees and their households must isolate for two-weeks, or face being fined. 

The Department of Health said Health Secretary Matt Hancock will bring in regulations ‘to ensure that this self-isolation period is legally enforced’ and warned that anyone who does not abide by the rules without a reasonable excuse could be fined. 

The Government said 41,423 people had died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, an increase of 18 on the day before.

What are the new rules in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn?

As of Saturday, residents in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn will not be allowed to socialise with anyone from outside of their household, whether indoors or outdoors. 

Ministers are also advising against using public transport unless it is for essential travel. 

The numbers of people who can attend weddings, civil partnerships and funerals is being limited to household members and close family and no more than 20 people. 

Local restaurants are being encouraged not to allow walk-ins and to only seat people who have made a reservation. 

People are still allowed to go shopping, go to work and attend child-care settings.   

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 57,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

The Government also said that as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 1,288 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus. Overall, 324,601 cases have been confirmed.

The news in the North West comes after a senior official warned that Britain could go into a second national lockdown if it sees a rise in cases like Spain.

More ‘nationwide measures’ could be brought in to combat rising infections after the R-rate crept over one for the first time since restrictions were lifted in July. 

Senior officials said local outbreaks could skew the reproduction number, which needs to stay below one to avoid another rise in infections, but another nationwide lockdown could soon be necessary to curb the spread.

Local lockdowns in Manchester and Leicester have already been implemented, with households in Oldham and Blackburn to be banned from meeting in each others’ homes from Saturday. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said another lockdown was a ‘nuclear deterrent’ in an interview with The Daily Telegraph last month – effectively ruling out the option of a second nationwide shutdown. 

But officials are reportedly keen to avoid a situation like Spain, where 142 cases per 100,000 people represents the fastest growing infection rate in Europe.

A senior government source told The Daily Telegraph: ‘If it doesn’t get contained it may be that some things that have been open, you need to think about whether measures need to be taken to reverse things.

‘The strategy is to manage this through local outbreak management, but if it moves in the direction of Spain, then clearly you can see what’s happening there, and in France, people are making more nationwide measures.’ 

They added that the prospect of national lockdown depended on the ‘trajectory’ of the spread and how quickly outbreaks can be dealt with.

Another source told the newspaper: ‘We’re looking at a pretty bumpy autumn and winter and that’s going to go in the direction of increased cases and increased outbreaks.’ The daily case number in the UK is nearly double the tally at the beginning of June, and is likely to increase further once schools reopen in September. 

In other coronavirus developments in Britain: 

  • SAGE warned Britain’s coronavirus R rate could now be above the dreaded level of 1 just hours after a Government surveillance study revealed cases had fallen; 
  • Britons scrambled to get back from Croatia before new quarantine restrictions came into place after a rise in infections;  
  • Britons dashed to book Bank Holiday breaks in Portugal after it was ‘green-listed’ and hotels slashed prices in a last-minute scramble to fill rooms – but flight costs have risen six-fold;
  • Official statistics revealed coronavirus has been bumped down to become the eighth most common killer in England, in another sign the darkest days of the crisis are behind us;
  • Public sector debt went above £2trillion for the first time in history after the Government was forced to borrow billions of pounds to keep the UK’s crippled plc afloat during the coronavirus crisis;  
  • Pregnant women and new mothers died needlessly in lockdown after being denied intensive care beds or mental health services, a damning Oxford University report warned.

The Figueretes beach on August 17, 2020 in Ibiza, Spain. Almost all Schengen countries recommend not traveling to Spain due to COVID -19

The Figueretes beach on August 17, 2020 in Ibiza, Spain. Almost all Schengen countries recommend not traveling to Spain due to COVID -19

Professor Sir Mark Walport, who is a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), was asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if Britain would ever see another wide-spread lockdown.

He said: ‘Never is a very strong word. The whole point is to improve the local control, increase the amount of testing, give guidance to avoid that happening. 

‘But is there a situation where it could get out of control? Well obviously that’s possible.’ 

Oliver Johnson, a professor of information theory at the University of Bristol, said: ‘The major concern is that R values of this magnitude do not leave a significant margin before the epidemic starts to grow in size again, and raise the possibility that some re-openings may need to be reversed to allow schools to open safely.’ 

Britain has around 11 cases per 100,000 people and just 97 admitted to hospital. But Public Health England surveillance showed case detection in England increased from 5,763 to 6,418 in the week to Aug 16, up 11 per cent. 

Confusion was sparked about the current trajectory of the Covid-19 crisis in the UK. SAGE has warned that Britain’s coronavirus R rate could now be above the dreaded level of 1 just hours after a Government surveillance study revealed cases had fallen. 

Government advisers estimate the R value – the average number of people each coronavirus patient infects – is now between 0.9 and 1.1, up from last week’s prediction that it was hovering around 0.8 and 1. It needs to stay below one or the virus could start to spread exponentially again.  

But an official report released this afternoon suggested the epidemic is shrinking. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated weekly infections have plummeted by a third in a week, with 2,400 people now contracting the disease every day in England alone – down from the 3,800 last week.  

Fears of a second wave are high because cases had risen consistently throughout July – but government figures suggested they have started to drop again this week. Top experts warned the rise was down to more testing in badly-hit areas, saying hospital admissions and deaths have not risen in line with infections.

Government sources say the spike in cases is largely down to younger people getting infected, who studies have shown face less risk of dying or becoming severely ill from Covid-19.    

The Office for National Statistics estimates 2,400 people are contracting the disease every day, down 37 per cent from the 3,800 the previous week

The Office for National Statistics estimates 2,400 people are contracting the disease every day, down 37 per cent from the 3,800 the previous week

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘To prevent a second peak and keep Covid-19 under control, we need robust, targeted intervention where we see a spike in cases. The only way we can keep on top of this deadly virus is through decisive action led by the people who know their areas best, wherever possible through consensus with a local area.

‘Working with local leaders we agreed further action [in] Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn. It is vital that everyone in these areas follow the advice of their councils, and abide by their local rules carefully.

SAGE FEARS BRITAIN’S R RATE COULD NOW BE AS HIGH AS 1.1

Confusion about the current trajectory of the Covid-19 crisis in the UK was sparked as SAGE warned the reproduction rate could now be 1.1 but a separate Government study found cases had fallen again.

The Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) estimates the R value – the average number of people each coronavirus patient infects – is now between 0.9 and 1.1, up from last week’s prediction that it was hovering around 0.8 and 1.0.

Experts say the R needs to stay below one or Governments risk losing control of the epidemic and the virus could start to spread exponentially again. SAGE said it had ‘lost confidence’ the R remained below the danger zone.

SAGE said it was ‘seeing indications that’ coronavirus was resurging in all of the home nations, which has fuelled fears that a second wave of the virus is making its way through the country. In the last week, England’s R value crept up from between 0.8 and 1.0 to 0.9 and 1.0, which has pushed up the overall rate across Britain. Miniature outbreaks in Scotland and Northern Ireland have also contributed to the rise.

To estimate the R, scientists look at clinical data such as hospital admissions and deaths, as well as behavioural surveys and people’s movement patterns. But SAGE warned that when transmission is as low as it currently is in the UK – around 1,000 people are being diagnosed every day – the R is more volatile. This means it can be skewed upwards by local clusters of infections, which has been seen in swathes of the North West of England.

SAGE’s warning comes on the same day an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report suggested the epidemic was shrinking, adding to confusion about how the virus is currently behaving.

The ONS found weekly infections plummeted by a third in a week, with 2,400 people now contracting the disease every day – down 37 per cent from the 3,800 the previous week.

Statisticians at the Government-run agency said that while cases had been on the climb since July – prompting fears of a second wave – the epidemic’s upward trajectory had now been stopped in its tracks.

The ONS bases its predictions on 135,808 swab tests taken over seven weeks, out of which 61 people tested positive for Covid-19. The low number of positive tests means its estimates should be treated with caution. 

‘Our approach is to make the action we take as targeted as possible, with the maximum possible local consensus. 

‘To do that we are introducing a new process to increase engagement between local leaders, both councils and MPs, with the aim of taking as targeted action as possible. This will allow local councils to focus resources onto the wards which need more targeted intervention in order to drive infection rates down, and gives local people a stronger voice at the table.’ 

The decision to impose more stringent restrictions in Oldham, Blackburn and Pendle comes after it emerged that cases in Oldham had reached 103.1 per 100,000 people during the week ending 13 August. 

In Blackburn and Pendle case numbers had reached 95.3 and 75.5 cases respectively.

The sharp rise in cases is in part due to a major increase in testing led by local councils. 

The city currently has 30.2 cases per 100,000 and the percentage of people testing positive is up to 4.3 per cent. 

The new designation means Birmingham will now be subject to additional testing, more locally led contact tracing and targeted community engagement. 

Rules prohibiting social gatherings in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Leicester will now be lifted in Wigan, Rossendale and some parts of Blackburn with Darwen.

These areas will align with the rest of England from Wednesday August 26 but the measures will continue to apply elsewhere, with another review scheduled for next week. 

The Government’s new approach to drawing up local lockdowns will see councils in areas of ‘National Intervention’ tasked with working together in order to propose a plan for a specified area which is experiencing a surge in cases. 

Local leaders will be expected to strike a consensus between councils and local MPs with areas where coronavirus is less prevalent expected to be made exempt from restrictions. 

A final decision will then be made by the Joint Biosecurity Centre Gold Meeting which will be chaired by Mr Hancock and the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty. 

The Government’s decision to put tougher restrictions on Oldham, Blackburn and Pendle come after SAGE warned the reproduction rate could now be 1.1. 

Experts say the R needs to stay below one or Governments risk losing control of the epidemic and the virus could start to spread exponentially again. SAGE said it had ‘lost confidence’ the R remained below the danger zone.

SAGE said it was ‘seeing indications that’ coronavirus was resurging in all of the home nations, which has fuelled fears that a second wave of the virus is making its way through the country. 

In the last week, England’s R value crept up from between 0.8 and 1.0 to 0.9 and 1.0, which has pushed up the overall rate across Britain. Miniature outbreaks in Scotland and Northern Ireland have also contributed to the rise. 

Official figures show the city of Birmingham's infection rate has more than doubled over the past fortnight, with around 25 new cases of coronavirus for every 100,000 people ¿ up from just 11 in the first week of August

Official figures show the city of Birmingham’s infection rate has more than doubled over the past fortnight, with around 25 new cases of coronavirus for every 100,000 people — up from just 11 in the first week of August

The latest growth rate for the whole of the UK is between -3 per cent to +1 per cent. A growth rate between -3 per cent to +1 per cent means the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 3 per cent and growing by 1 per cent every day. The most likely value is towards the middle of the range

The latest growth rate for the whole of the UK is between -3 per cent to +1 per cent. A growth rate between -3 per cent to +1 per cent means the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 3 per cent and growing by 1 per cent every day. The most likely value is towards the middle of the range

Researchers from King's College London, who run the COVID Symptom Tracker app that is used by millions of Brits, say Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Dundee City and Nottingham should now be monitored closely. The other seven hotspots have already had lockdown restrictions rolled back

Researchers from King’s College London, who run the COVID Symptom Tracker app that is used by millions of Brits, say Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Dundee City and Nottingham should now be monitored closely. The other seven hotspots have already had lockdown restrictions rolled back

FRANCE SEES ANOTHER SPIKE IN CASES – AS BRITS SCRAMBLE TO GET HOME FROM CROATIA AND AUSTRIA

France recorded another sharp rise is coronavirus cases on Thursday with 4,700 infections – up by a thousand – while Italy has seen its highest daily tally since May.

There have also been worrying spikes in Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Croatia – much of it blamed on holidaying Europeans and youngsters enjoying parties in the summer heatwave.

Italy registered 845 new cases on Thursday, its highest daily tally since May, while France’s 4,771 fresh infections was a colossal increase on Wednesday’s 3,776 (pictured: a graph of the rolling 7-day average)

Italy registered 845 new cases on Thursday, its highest figure for three months, while France’s 4,771 fresh infections was a colossal increase on Wednesday’s 3,776.

Britons were scrambling to return home from Croatia and Austria last night after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps declared that anyone arriving from the countries must self-isolate for 14 days.

British Airways economy flights from Zagreb to London are up at £276 compared to £82 on Monday.  Around 20,000 British tourists are thought to be in Croatia.  

To estimate the R, scientists look at clinical data such as hospital admissions and deaths, as well as behavioural surveys and people’s movement patterns. 

But SAGE warned that when transmission is as low as it currently is in the UK – around 1,000 people are being diagnosed every day – the R is more volatile. 

This means it can be skewed upwards by local clusters of infections, which has been seen in swathes of the North West of England.

SAGE’s warning comes on the same day an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report suggested the epidemic was shrinking, adding to confusion about how the virus is currently behaving.

The ONS found weekly infections plummeted by a third in a week, with 2,400 people now contracting the disease every day – down 37 per cent from the 3,800 the previous week.

Statisticians at the Government-run agency said that while cases had been on the climb since July – prompting fears of a second wave – the epidemic’s upward trajectory had now been stopped in its tracks.

The ONS bases its predictions on 135,808 swab tests taken over seven weeks, out of which 61 people tested positive for Covid-19. The low number of positive tests means its estimates should be treated with caution.

One of the Government’s top scientific advisers said that, after reviewing the R rate study and ONS report, they think ‘this is all probably trending upwards, very gently.’ 

They warned more younger people were testing positive and suggested it was only a matter of time before they began to infect older citizens who are far more vulnerable to Covid-19’s nasty symptoms.

The ONS’ daily infection predictions are much different to the Government’s official daily count, released by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) every afternoon. 

Testing data is collected by the ONS from swab tests sent regularly to people’s homes to test whether they are infected with the virus at the time. The people are chosen to be representative of the UK population.

The households taking part in the survey were tested for Covid-19 regardless of whether they had symptoms or not.

Thousands of people become infected but never request a test and so go unreported in the DHSC’s statistics. 

Going by the official metric, 1,051 Britons are now testing positive for the life-threatening disease each day, on average – which is half of what the ONS predicts.

For comparison, the rolling average on Thursday was 1,043 and it had been falling every day since August 15, when the figure reached a six-week high of 1,097.

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