Star date: 27th November 2020

MASS TESTING OR MASS VACCINATION?

Salford has 57 new coronavirus cases, as the number and rate of infections continues to plummet. There have, however, still been two new virus-related deaths at Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, as part of Salford and Greater Manchester being in Tier 3, the Government has promised mass testing availability but Greater Manchester is preferring a more targeted approach of testing students and care homes, as it doesn't have the capacity to do mass testing and mass vaccinations..."We are trying to balance our resources" says Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham.

Full details here...

Salford has 57 new coronavirus cases, up from the previous day's 73, bringing the cumulative total to 13,135, as the dramatic fall in infections continues. The seven day average of cases has decreased from 713 to 673, as has the seven day rate per 100,000 population which fell from 275.5 to 260.

Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, all boroughs continue to see a slight drop in seven day totals, albeit at a high rate. Cases in Manchester during the latest seven day data period were 1,382 (down from 1,472), with a rate of 250 (down from 266.3), followed by Bolton with 878 (down from 951), with a rate of 305.3 (down from 330.7) and Oldham 922 (down from 956), with a rate of 388.8 (down from 403.2).

Wigan has 1,000 (down from 1,046), with a rate of 304.3 (down from 318.3), Tameside 567 (down from 602), with a rate of 250.3 (down from 265.8), Rochdale 805 (down from 829), with a rate of 361.9 (down from 372.7), Stockport 612 (down from 647), with a rate of 208.6 (down from 220.5), Bury 600 (down from 629), with a rate of 314.2 (down from 329.3) and Trafford 405 (down from 452), with a rate of 170.6 (down from 190.4).

There have been two new virus-related deaths announced by Salford Royal Hospital.

Reaction to the Government putting Salford and Greater Manchester in Tier 3 has been, yet again, centred on Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham. The Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, has so far tweeted nothing about it...

Neither has Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long Bailey, although on Facebook she wrote that "Salford, Greater Manchester and other areas had been under higher restrictions for months with insufficient financial support. Now Gov is putting us into tier 3 again, they must provide us with more extensive financial support. It's a dereliction of duty to do otherwise".

Eccles and Worsley South MP, Barbara Keeley, actually re-tweeted remarks from the Trafford Council Leader Andrew Western saying "This is a real blow for our businesses"...

It's a theme taken up by Burnham also, who tweeted "The North in Tier 3 with no extra business support = levelling down", while accusing the Government of "divide and rule" politics over its decision to place the area into Tier 3 post-lockdown (see full quotes on the graphics).

Earlier this week, Andy Burnham was asked by the Salford Star about the mass rapid testing programme which the Government has promised would be available to areas in Tier 3. He responded that it was a question of logistics for both mass testing and a mass vaccination programme...
 
"The pitch we're making to the Government is not so much for mass testing on the Liverpool model, more for a targeted approach; university students would be a more obvious example, care homes and other priority sectors" he explained, adding that he was in "constructive discussions" with the Government about that.

"We are looking at how do-able it is, the mass testing side of things, which is why we're tending more towards the targeted approach, when you consider soon that also we might have to start up a mass vaccination programme" he added

"I'm led to believe that Greater Manchester is pretty much ready to go" he said about the mass vaccination programme "A huge amount of work is going on to identify vaccination sites. If the regulator gives the vaccine approval we would be ready to go within a fortnight.

"But we do need to see these things together, and the capacity to deliver mass testing needs to be seen alongside the very high priority, and some might say higher priority, of getting the vaccination programme moving. Both are important, that's why we are trying to balance our resources."

Before the Tier 3 decision was announced by the Government yesterday, Burnham, also said that he believed it was "the wrong option...it hits hospitality far too hard and it is very permissive when it comes to non-essential retail. I don't think, personally, that the balance has been got right here..."

He added that he wouldn't have relaxed the rules for Christmas to the extent that the Government has...

"I think the arrangement for Christmas are too permissive and could risk putting too much pressure on the NHS at that critical moment" he said "...Please bear in mind those staff working on the front line for the NHS through December and January, it's going to be really, really tough and we need to keep them at the forefront of our minds..."

One positive piece of news is that the University of Manchester students who occupied The Tower accommodation have won a significant victory, securing a 30% reduction in rent for the first term, which will cost the University around £12million. The students claim that it's the "biggest win for student rent strikes in the UK"...

For full details of the Tier 3 restrictions see previous Salford Star articles – click here and click here