Star date: 23rd August 2020

TOTAL SALFORD VIRUS CASES HIT 1,713

Salford has seven new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the cumulative total to 1,713, while total Manchester cases rose above four thousand. There have been no new virus-related deaths at Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, yesterday activists from ACORN renters union took to the streets in Manchester calling for the Government to prevent COVID evictions.

Full details here...

Salford has seven new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the cumulative total to 1,713, up from the previous day's 1,706.

Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, cases in Manchester rose to over four thousand with a cumulative total of 4,005 (up from 3,968), followed by Oldham with 2,741 (up from 2,719), Wigan 2,272 (up from 2,270), Bolton 2,198 (up from 2,194), Rochdale 2,150 (up from 2,142), Stockport 1,944 (up from 1,937), Tameside 1,830 (up from 1,820), Trafford 1,597 (up from 1,589) and Bury 1,514 (up from 1,506).

There have been no new virus-related deaths at Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, yesterday, members of ACORN renters union took to the streets all over England and Wales, with socially distanced protests, which included delivering 'notices of eviction resistance' to landlords and lettings agents, and picket lines outside the front of court buildings where eviction proceedings will be heard when the ban lifts.

"Yesterday the Government dragged its feet right to the last minute before announcing their most recent u-turn and extending the ban on evictions for a further month, as well as increasing the period of notice for evictions" said ACORN member Joe Bowly "This is a win for and testimony to the power of organised tenants refusing to bare the economic brunt of a global pandemic, but on its own it is not enough.

"Delaying is not the same as prevention and those tenants who have fallen into arrears through, for example, loss of work, are still massively at risk" he added "We are demanding a permanent end to section 21 'No Fault' evictions which make all assured short hold tenancies unsafe, even outside of the current times. We are also demanding a rent debt waiver through an amendment to section 8.

"With or without these demands met, ACORN is readying itself nationally to physically resist evictions as and when necessary" he explained "We need security and we need enforceable rights for tenants. Housing is health."

For a full background to yesterday's protest and for details of Monday's protest in Manchester see previous Salford Star article – click here