Eight of Greater Manchester’s boroughs are now below the average Covid infection rate for England

Coronavirus infection rates in eight boroughs of Greater Manchester are now below the average in England.

Latest figures released by Public Health England show there were 176.2 positive tests in Wigan for every 100,000 people in the week ending December 10th. This is a 6% fall from the week prior. 

England’s average has increased by 21% to 182.7 over the same period. 

Joining Wigan is Manchester with 177.3 cases for every 100,000, lower than the national average despite a 4% rise.

Following the sharp decreases in Greater Manchester, all but two boroughs now have a lower infection rate than the national average.

However, the declines are now appearing to level off across the region.

As well as Manchester, cases in Trafford, Salford and Oldham also increased during this period. For Trafford, the rise is 12% taking their infection rate to 104.1.

In Salford, the increase was lower – just 2% – taking the area to 136.8, while in Oldham there was a 7% increase to 171.7.

Rates have continued to fall in Tameside taking the rate to 97.6, making it the lowest in Greater Manchester.

The highest infection rate in Greater Manchester is in Bury, despite a 8% fall in the period. There are 208.4 cases per 100,000 people.

For Greater Manchester as a whole, the infection rate stands are 154.3, a 4% decrease from the week prior. 

The government is set to review all the tiers in place across the country tomorrow (December 16th) after two weeks of the new system being in place. London has already been confirmed it will move to Tier 3 restrictions on December 16th following rises in case numbers.

Andy Burnham is considering that the disparity in rates within the boroughs of Greater Manchester could see the region split into different tiers, although he hopes the region will move ‘as one’.