Cases are really high in Bolton

[Dustyboots]

447 per 100, 000

They’re nothing like this anywhere else.

What is happening to stop this from spreading. Why is it not being discussed?

How has it got so high?

Is Bolton one of the councils that hasn't been able to access track and trace data for weeks? (Due to a reported technical glitch that public health England ignored). I know neighbouring Blackburn with Darwen were affected by it.

Oh and last weekend 6000 people in Bolton were given their first vaccine in mobile vaccination hubs. They're massively ramping up vaccine availability, which should help

It is being discussed everywhere - there is thread after thread on the Indian Variant in this section, news article after news article in various papers, on the news all the time

The levels got so high partly because in the two areas of Bolton with particularly high rates vast numbers of people were allowed to fly into the country unchecked from countries with high levels of the new variant. There are areas of Bolton that are not drastically affected.

Actions are being taken to address the situation; surge testing and max vaccination of people younger than 30.

The town has been in various forms of local lockdown longer than almost anywhere else in the UK. Clearly due to the local demographic these do not work but do unjustly punish local business owners, particularly in areas where the variant is not rife.

When only Bolton was placed into local lockdown last year no extra funding was provided for the government and at that time furlough was on something like 60% of wages. When the Kent variant was rife in London 80% furlough and business support was provided.

There is a complex mix of reasons that rates are so high and they are not being addressed fully so as not to cause offence.

Sorry - yes it was being discussed. But now it’s been forgotten- eclipsed by the Cummings nonsense maybe.

This is a big worry isn’t it?

Why is it not being discussed?

It’s been on the news for weeks?

There is a complex mix of reasons that rates are so high and they are not being addressed fully so as not to cause offence.

Oh. I wasn’t expecting Bolton to be locked down. Just hope government aren’t ignoring it and hoping it will just sort itself out.

Whilst yes it's high, bear in mind more tests = more cases. They've been doing surge testing door to door in Bolton. A few other places are also doing surge testing but not all are door to door. If people have to leave home and travel somewhere (and queue), they're less likely to bother.

Also the per 100,000 thing. Not necessarily the case with Bolton but it can make things seem worse than they are. Say an area with 20 people in total has 6 cases, the numbers per 100,000 would be way higher than somewhere with many more cases but a larger population. Again, not saying this is the case with Bolton but the 100,000 way of reporting isn't always the most helpful picture.

But @BlueDuck23 90% (or there abouts) of the population is white British.

@BlueDuck23

The levels got so high partly because in the two areas of Bolton with particularly high rates vast numbers of people were allowed to fly into the country unchecked from countries with high levels of the new variant. There are areas of Bolton that are not drastically affected.

Actions are being taken to address the situation; surge testing and max vaccination of people younger than 30.

The town has been in various forms of local lockdown longer than almost anywhere else in the UK. Clearly due to the local demographic these do not work but do unjustly punish local business owners, particularly in areas where the variant is not rife.

When only Bolton was placed into local lockdown last year no extra funding was provided for the government and at that time furlough was on something like 60% of wages. When the Kent variant was rife in London 80% furlough and business support was provided.

There is a complex mix of reasons that rates are so high and they are not being addressed fully so as not to cause offence.

Hadn't realised furlough was on different rates based on where in the country people were based? I'd understood it to be 80% across the board

Furlough started at 80% for all areas of the country and employer contributions increased at the same rate later in the year: www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-chancellor-rishi-sunak-provides-an-updated-statement-on-coronavirus.

There are some areas of the country where a higher proportion of people are working outside the house with lots of close contact such as food production and textile factories are a high risk. People in low incomes can't always afford to lose even 20% of salary, with higher risk that they will then choose to go to work even unwell. Zero hours and self employed can struggle with the costs of self isolating, with or without the £500 payment as not everyone gets that. Self-employed who don't have a limited company don't get furlough, with higher risk that they will then choose to go to work even unwell. Larger households are higher risk. Households who've travelled overseas are higher risk. MSOA with fewer people vaccinated (even where overall vaccination numbers for the town are higher) are at higher risk (whether due to younger population, vaccine scepticism, poor transport to local vaccination sites etc). All these factors apply to Bolton, combined they contribute to cases spreading locally at a faster rate than they would elsewhere.

Why do you think it hasn't been discussed OP?

eclipsed by the Cummings nonsense

The exposure of government incompetence is an underlying reason for this outbreak and responsible for 127,000 dead - and shouldn’t be dismissed as ‘nonsense’

Cummings is a weasely little arse, even if what he is saying is true it is coming across as a massive case of sour grapes.

Cases are high but think they were over 1500/100,000 at one point and in older groups so higher case rate in younger groups wont be a huge concern i imagine.

Blackburn was over 1700/100,000 at one point during the second wave. Its largely more important which age demographic its affecting. At the moment those higher numbers are mainly in the younger population (under 50) hence different approach

@Temp023

Cummings is a weasely little arse, even if what he is saying is true it is coming across as a massive case of sour grapes.

I agree. He is not a good man.

Some areas of Bolton are 1900+

@Temp023

Cummings is a weasely little arse, even if what he is saying is true it is coming across as a massive case of sour grapes.

So what he says is true but because of how he comes across we dismiss him and let Johnson and the rest of them off the hook? I have a very low opinion of Cummings, and I absolve him of none of the blame but to dismiss his evidence as ‘nonsense’ is appalling.

The problem is though that Dominic Cummings is trying to come across as someone who was merely a bystander in all of this and that all of this happened around him.

That is not helping his case - he would have been far more believable if he came and held up his hands and took his part of the blame alongside everyone else.

@Dustyboots

Sorry - yes it was being discussed. But now it’s been forgotten- eclipsed by the Cummings nonsense maybe.

This is a big worry isn’t it?

Yes it is a big worry particularly for those of us that live in the postcode of doom,however we have mobile PCR tests,a vaccine bus,and people going door to door handing out PCR tests.im fully vaccinated,but I'm concerned how it may affect schools ,several local schools have burst bubbles,although not the ones my boys attend ,fingers crossed 🤞.