Salford has 15 new coronavirus cases, up from the previous day's 4, bringing the cumulative total of cases to 23,333. The seven day average of cases in Salford is now 107, up from 106, while the seven day rate per 100,000 population now stands at 41.3, up from 41.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, the seven day average of cases in Bury is 44 (same), with a seven day rate per 100,000 population of 23 (same); Bolton 199 (up from 179), with a rate of 69.2 (up from 62.3); Manchester 188 (down from 189), with a rate of 34 (down from 34.2), and Oldham 83 (down from 92), with a rate of 35 (down from 38.8).
Rochdale has a seven day average of cases of 75 (same), with a seven day rate of 33.7 (same); Stockport 60 (down from 61), with a rate of 20.4 (down from 20.8); Tameside 58 (down from 62), with a rate of 25.6 (down from 27.4); Trafford 107 (up from 104), with a rate of 45.1 (up from 43.8); and Wigan 73 (up from 63), with a rate of 22.2 (up from 19.2).
There have been no new virus-related deaths announced by Salford Royal Hospital.
Meanwhile, a coalition of nearly twenty scientists plus educational unions NEU, UNITE, UNISON, GMB and NASUWT, and around four hundred parents and students have written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to express concern at reported Government plans to stop requiring children to wear face coverings in secondary school classrooms in England from 17th May.
"To strip these necessary protections, when there are already too few mitigation measures in schools, and when rates of COVID-19 are still significant would have consequences for the health of our children and their parents as well as their communities" they write.
The letter points to recent ONS data confirming a marked rise in infections over March among children after schools opened for just a few weeks before the Easter Break. It points out that, according to the latest data, between 10-13% of children who are infected with COVID-19 develop persistent symptoms after infection lasting five weeks or more, an indication of Long COVID.
Experimental estimates from the ONS now suggest that as many 43,000 children and 110,000 educational staff could now be living with Long COVID, warns the letter, which adds that it could be an under estimation.
The removal of masks for secondary school pupils contradicts the available health and safety information we have regarding COVID-19 and threatens to increase the volume of COVID-19 infections in our un-vaccinated children and young people, in addition to school staff and families" says Catherine Wilson, Head of support, Parents United UK.
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