What’s happening in Bolton to give such a huge rise in cases?

[AndromedaPerseus]

Just that really, any insights from locals?

Whilst there's a lot of publicity about the big cities, rural Somerset where I am doubled this week to 30/100k. We went 6 weeks without a case.

The guy near me who caught it had been to Greece the week before the paper reported.

I assume the concern over cities is the ease of spread. Rural areas are less at risk from widespread infection (but obviously not risk free).

Daily mail this morning introduces you to the man behind the spread in Bolton

I doubt it's just him, but the rumour for weeks is that most cases linked back to a man who came back from Spain then broke lockdown in a lot of pubs/houseparties

Superspreader events seem to be a feature of this pandemic

Did you read the bit tho that he hasn’t even been tested!!!!

So the guys being blamed for cases all over the city and there’s nothing to say he even had covid 🤷‍♀️

Yes he broke isolation but he may not have had it

Wether he was a spreader or not ,I think it's a lot more complex than that from what I have seen people haven't stuck to the guidelines throughout lockdown ,and now schools have gone back it's going to spread even more ,I have read a couple of Bolton,s high school,s have had cases both local to me ,not my son,s yet but I anticipate it will only be a matter of time.

It’s also a bit shit for his identity to be plastered all over the news so the Covid vigilantes can start hurling abuse at him

He's been given a fine though so I assume they must have some evidence ,but I agree there's no need to plaster his identity all over the paper he's certainly not the only one.

He was fined for having a house party when he was supposed to isolate after Ibiza

Tho I can see why he did in some respects as those at party he was in Ibiza with apparently

No evidence he had covid at all

@AlecTrevelyan006

It’s also a bit shit for his identity to be plastered all over the news so the Covid vigilantes can start hurling abuse at him

Yes very shit.

There's no way it's down to just one man - and it was the government that decided to allow people to fly off round the world in the middle of a pandemic. The blame lies with them.

@ItalianHat

I think a few Muslims find it ironic people can go to the pub and mix yet they can't celebrate a large wedding or eid gathering

This is because the pub is legally bound to take customers' details for track & trace, and set up systems & protocols that ensure that all patrons maintain social distancing. And can ask people to leave if they breach those guidelines.

I doubt this is happening in house parties or large family gatherings of whatever religious or ethnic grouping (I live in a student town - the non-socially distanced groups are getting bigger).

Pubs are public spaces (hence "public house" duh). Family parties etc are private and not able to be subject to surveillance.

There's emerging evidence in Germany (who have a competent government not the buffoons some of you elected) that the main way of controlling & living with the virus is through maintaining social distancing, and using face coverings when this isn't possible.

Well said.

I drove through Bolton yesterday and it was quiet going pass the market. The testing site had just had people queueing no cars and the few people I did see walking around had masks on. The little village next to where I live is banning people coming with a bl postcode because they have a few coming from Blackrod and Horwich over to use there pubs. But the spread needs to stop. I think bolton is classed as greater Manchester. Where I am it Lancashire and Preston is supposed to be going the same way as Bolton.
We are in the middle of Bolton preston Blackburn and Wigan. Think there's only Wigan which isn't as bad at the moment.

Sal

Are you in a place beginning with A @Sadless? I read they were banning us from pubs etc😂 the problem is just because people live in Bolton many work in neighbouring areas .

I am in Greater Manchester but not Bolton. I don't go to shops more than I have to.
Today I ventured into The Range for various things.
Most people were wearing masks but to be honest, about half of them may as well not have been because they were under their chin, under their nose, under their nose and also so loose that you could see their mouth when they talked.
I just don't get it. Why bother at all if you are going to do that?

Around 1000 cases in last 7 days in Bolton up to today. Clearly getting out of control there now.

@NHT32

Around 1000 cases in last 7 days in Bolton up to today. Clearly getting out of control there now.

Yes Someone died of covid yesterday Imagine! Out of control

@PremierInn
You want to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted?

The horse bolted in late February. It just takes a long time for the penny to drop.

If something goes wrong, there's two choices. Give up, throw our hands up, say oh well nothing can be done, and sit back whilst things get even worse.

Alternatively we can do something to mitigate the damage. Like Italy.

An example. Several places are official 'areas of concern'. We can choose to do nothing much and wait until things get as bad as they are in Bolton. Or we can do local lockdowns now. To stop things getting to that stage.

@SheepandCow

If something goes wrong, there's two choices. Give up, throw our hands up, say oh well nothing can be done, and sit back whilst things get even worse.

Alternatively we can do something to mitigate the damage. Like Italy.

Or there's Sweden ....

Act for the long term not all this ridiculous in-out-shake it all about 'eat out to save lives' 'go to work to save lives' 'omg cower in your bedroom' and repeat

Noone is dying. It was mostly those in carehomes and hospitals who died last time. Keep testing there, use ppe there, rest of it there's not much you can do. This is a pantomine of trying to stop the tide coming in.

@Vinoonasunnyday

I don't believe there much diff between Bolton and many other areas

What’s happenening is there is a mild increase in cases and they then suddenly throw testing at it which picks up dozens of asymptomatics so cases rise

But there’s millions in all areas wandering round asymptomatic now 🤷‍♀️

Eg in Lancaster near me they had a peak. Locally nearby there are 3 pop up units offering free walk in tests for anyone inc encouraging those without symptoms so everyone’s going. So of course cases then look higher

I bet lots on Mumsnet right now have it and have no idea!

I do agree with you!

I am from cumbria but staying in wigan, next to Bolton for. a few months. I have some family here, and during the bulk of the lockdown, I would say the majority in wigan are abiding by the rules.
For instance, if I got to Tesco, there might be around 4 people in total not wearing masks.
Many are even wearing them in the streets.

People stuck closer to restrictions at the beginning, of course, but there is still very much an attitude of distancing here, and the case rates are rising......

I do think we are testing like crazy in these parts, much like cumbria did in the early days when it had case rates second only to London. Now cumbria has dropped down, and greater manchester has picked up.

It is far too easy to say it is because people in GM are thick, uneducated and poor. A very ignorant view, but if it makes some folks feel better about 'their' town......

Most of the high case rates, at least in the Wigan borough are in the more wealthy parts. I have no idea what it all means.

My home town is near Ambleside and whilst the people there are a wildly different demographic, over all covid-behaviours are not really different to wigan.

No idea about Bolton, but I imagine people are presuming a lot! It is too easy to equate poverty with covid cases. The truth is, people on low incomes will fare worse no matter the crisis. But how it's spreading? Not everyone in the north is a salivating q-anon . Well, at least I haven't met one whilst ive been here.

It's all over Bolton though ,I live here ,I'm not assuming everybody,s ignorant or thick ,I'm certainly not but just read the comments section on the Bolton news website ,I think it's the minority that are spoiling it for the majority ,and Bolton's such a big place .

It isn't just because of more testing because the proportion of positive tests is going up too.

Act for the long term not all this ridiculous in-out shake it all about
Yes I agree. We should use our island advantage, like NZ and Australia did. Even now it's better late than never. We could be seeing a return to some semblance of normality by Christmas if we did it now.

Sweden? Yes agree again. Let's have a very good well-funded welfare state and healthcare system, end overcrowded housing, and start having a sense of social responsibility. Like Sweden. Even better, let's be like their neighbours, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Finland, who have all that and alive care home residents and less economic damage.

Horse stable

Island advantage long gone unless you are seriously suggesting we close the borders? With Brexit it might be how we end up anyway. Then just that tiny problem of being on an island with rampant community transmission of covid.

Sweden: we are pretty similar in character really, apart from this endless running down of national character. Most people were community minded during the spring lockdown. Now its just a distraction technique to blame our neighbours instead of mistakes by our government.

The facts are very plain. It has spread too far for eradication to be a strategy for the UK. Face reality. Not going to happen. Lockdown, exactly as Sweden (and we) predicted, works but then it springs back the minute you lift it so is not sustainable. And doesn't really work.

Most deaths are the elderly or the very elderly, with the highest risk factor being dementia. How much would we usually spend to save a year of life of someone age 80 with dementia? Let's spend that on ppe and a decent care package. We're not usually a panic-ridden nation of cowards. We did used to be considered quite phlegmatic and stoic as a nation in terms of character. Stiff upper lip and all that. More Swedish than Italian. The stoic, phlegmatic approach is going to last the long haul while this headless chicken approach is most definitely doing us no favours at all.

German healthcare seems to have been really effective but it costs a lot more. You get what you pay for. Elderly Brits didn't pay for it, they don't get it. Their choice over fifty years of taxpaying.