Greater Manchester Update

[SistemaAddict]

Has there been one? I thought the situation was being reviewed today but I can't find any info anywhere except Oldham is on the brink of full lockdown but the Mayor thinks it's not necessary. I'm right on the outskirts of GM and hoping for news as cases have risen in general but schools go back in less than 2 weeks.

Nothing so far, if was expected today and I've been waiting for it.

It was expected yesterday at Burnham's weekly Covid update but nothing concrete was said, just lots of hedging and ifs and buts.
Apparently GM feel it would be unfair to keep Oldham in lockdown (( or impose stricter rules) but allow easing elsewhere as to do so 'would 'inflame community tensions' in Oldham as well as it not being fair on local businesses there. Basically, GM doesn't want to offend/restrict the community in Oldham where infection rates are still rising (this could be a combination of factors - current restrictions aren't working/ people aren't obeying the rules & spreading infection/ more tests are being done so more cases are being detected as a % of the population and that translates into an increased R number); who knows. I haven't seen figures for Oldham's test rates, but the lower they are the more it points to non -observance. Trafford is one if only 2 GM authorities ( as far as I know- & I won't take offence at being corrected) that's published its testing rates. In the 2 weeks after local lockdown they increased 3 fold. Trafford infection rates have fallen and continue to fall despite a hotspot being identified in Hale/Hale Barns. Oldham's haven't.
Burnham has hinted that Wigan might be let out because it has the lowest infection rates currently, and historically too - it's suspected that Wigan had a low incidence to begin with and never 'caught up' with average rates across GM.
Reading between the lines, Burnham's letter to HMGov ( mentioned in the briefing but not disclosed) asks for Wigan to be let out of local lockdown, and everywhere else
to be kept in until Oldham's rates fall to an acceptable level. I can go into a pub or restaurant in Oldham 25 miles away but I can't visit my widowed mum 3 doors down . Resentment building and people questioning why Oldham isn't being locked down fully.

Rusholme antics have been awful this week and it's no surprise rates are increasing in Manchester. Oldham is tricky as Andy Burham doesn't want to upset the community but Oldham is affecting the rest of GM, except Wigan if they are excluded. All my neighbours have had house and/or garden visitors. My sibling is planning on going on holiday with his adult daughter and son in law and grandchild even though they aren't one household. Why can't people stick to the sodding rules Ive been shielded and it worries me so much that lots of people don't give a shit and are just doing what they please.

It is incredibly frustrating and I think if it isn't eased in the areas where rates have gone down, especially below the ' magic number', then more people will flout the rules.

Wigan should be let out of it. There are areas just outside the greater Manchester area with far more cases than Wigan and other areas in the GM area. There’s no logic to some of it.

Burnham's logic is that Oldham would feel victimised and that as it's one of the poorer areas, it's unfair to ask businesses there to close. He doesn't seem to have factored in the effect on businesses across GM as a whole. It's certainly not business as usual. Just wondering if a 2/3 week full lockdown in Oldham while the furlough scheme is still running could be the way to get rates down, though I appreciate there are people not covered by the scheme.
If Wigan's let out then AB needs to tell the rest of us what the magic get-out -of lockdown rate is and promise that those in the other 8 local authority GMCA areas (besides Oldham) achieving it will get out of lockdown - even if it's only on a rolling basis ( 3 weeks on/3 off? ) to keep rates down at a manageable level. And keep us sane.

Oldhams rates have come down and they will not be going into local lockdown.

Hi @starrain what makes you say that? I am hoping you’re correct, just want to understand the background to your post.

Can't really say, but I have it with good information. I think rates will be released tomorrow.

They only have to review it every two weeks meaning we might have to wait till next Thursday. There are so many people not following the local restrictions, it's an absolute joke.

Just think about how people in Leicester feel. No cases where my house is for weeks (I've got hold of street by street data) but completely different area they are not playing by the rules so still illegal to see family anywhere. So annoying. (Not that people in my area are complying now, everyone has had it with the council, the mayor etc. should have fully locked down the streets with the problem not the whole city but they were worried that it would cause community tensions, well it has now, never heard so many people openly being racist, wasn't like that before.)
The politicians need to take much stricter action in the areas where it's spreading, house arrest and food deliveries sort of thing, ideally large multi generational households could be offered temporary accommodation for the most vulnerable, yes this costs but could nip the problem in the bud

I live in a GM town near Oldham, our rates have been ok. People here are not following the rules at all, they may as well not exist.

I have seen on Fbk and heard irl many racist comments about the areas of concern and I think tensions are rising. I hope they lock Oldham down and get a handle on it as it's feeding other problems locally too.

Just to clarify I meant I hope they lockdown to stop the situation being used to fuel the racial tensions that already exist not incite more.

Oldham is a pilot test area. They are literally knocking door to door and pulling people off the street to test, and therefore picking up a lot of asymptomatic cases. Oldham's high number is probably more reflective of the wider population in other areas, but there isn't the testing in place to prove that. It would be unfair to penalise Oldham for a high test rate. I don't think we have particular problems with non adherence different to other areas with similar community mix (e.g. Rochdale).

Also within Oldham there is the same debate as within Greater Manchester but on a local scale. The high infection rate is concentrated almost entirely in two council wards with only a smattering (but increasing) number of cases elsewhere. Most local Facebook groups are calling for lockdown in just those 2 areas. The fact that those 2 areas have a high Asian population is leading to such incredible racism - the use of the loaded 'them' and blaming the entire Asian population for the current situation. I have never before seen such overt racism from people I thought better of. I don't blame the authorities for hesitating because I think the potential societal consequences are enormous.

I want to know about my area too, which is Calderdale.

According to MEN the government will decide this morning.

Have you seen the comments on the MEN fb posts, they are horrifically racist-I think many are being removed but not quickly enough.

If my fb friends are anything to go by there is a very diverse mix of people not following local, or even national policies. Last time I looked we weren't allowed to mix 7 households!

@starrain

Can't really say, but I have it with good information. I think rates will be released tomorrow.

Rates are released daily in the Manchester Evening News.

Yesterday’s rates show that Wigan, Stockport, Bolton, Trafford and Tameside all have an infection rate per 100,000 which is lower than that of Birmingham. It must be exceedingly frustrating if you live in one of those areas and stick to the rules.

A review was supposed to happen yesterday and an update announced, but clearly this didn’t happen. I can imagine lockdown abiding, non-Oldham residents are getting to the end of their tether, to be honest.

I mean, it’s no coincidence that infection rates are rising in Asian areas. It’s been three weeks since Eid - a time when many Muslim families, including my own, gathered indoors in multiple households. Lots of visits also to neighbours, dropping off food and going inside, etc.

Andy Burnham has tweeted that there will be an announcement of some sort toda. I think they have a meeting late on Thursday but now have Learnt that late night announcements aren’t the best idea.

I’m in stockport and am so pissed off about the no going into houses rule esp as our cases are much lower than many other places where you can. So many people I know rely on grandparents to pick up after school etc. Many I know are going to have to do it anyway.

Today I meant

Three weeks since Eid and I saw crowds of people going into each other houses but still deaths are going down, 2 in the whole of England’s hospitals on the 16th August.

www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/08/COVID-19-total-announced-deaths-20-August-2020.xlsx

[quote Alex50]Three weeks since Eid and I saw crowds of people going into each other houses but still deaths are going down, 2 in the whole of England’s hospitals on the 16th August.

www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/08/COVID-19-total-announced-deaths-20-August-2020.xlsx[/quote]
And considering we were sold lockdown as “we have to do this to keep the NHS from being overwhelmed,” kinda makes you think...?

[quote Alex50]Three weeks since Eid and I saw crowds of people going into each other houses but still deaths are going down, 2 in the whole of England’s hospitals on the 16th August.

www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/08/COVID-19-total-announced-deaths-20-August-2020.xlsx[/quote]
mobile.twitter.com/firefoxx66/status/1296080742607355904

Happy to help.