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Greater Manchester’s coronavirus hotspots have been revealed
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Figures released on June 4th suggested the North West had almost twice England’s overall infection rate, but that the rates varied considerably within districts.
Now Greater Manchester officials have been analysing the data to work out a localised picture of COVID-19 levels within communities.
Andy Burnham has announced that council leaders are working on a ‘heat map’ that can be used by the public to workout their personal risk levels within their community, the Manchester Evening News reports.
There has been no date announced for the release of this, but the heat map will use a range of different figures so is likely to take a while to compile.
Dennis Turner / Geograph
According to figures circulating in the council over the last few days, Tameside and Bury had the highest COVID-19 infection rates in Greater Manchester, while Stockport had the lowest, followed by Salford.
For the period 21st May – 4th June, Public Health England figures showed that Tameside had an infection rate of 28.7 per 100,000, while Bury had 26.2 and Rochdale 25.6.
The overall English average for the same period was 9.2
In other boroughs in our region, Salford had a rate of 9.7, Bolton 10.4, Manchester 15.2, Oldham 16.9, Trafford 18.1, Wigan 18.6, and Greater Manchester in general had a rate of 16.8.
Meanwhile the lowest rate, according to the data, was in Stockport, with a rate of 6.8.
Those numbers have influenced different council’s approaches to opening schools for instance, with Tameside and Bury council being more cautious regarding reopening them.
Tameside and Bury council acknowledged the numbers, stressing that it was only one of a range of measurements assessing the situation, and also pointing out the testing rates within those areas will be a contributing factor.
Tameside, for instance, has experienced an expansion of the eligibility criteria for testing so they are physically able to test and therefore pick up more cases in the community.
Within these tests, according to a Tameside council spokesperson, people who are asymptomatic are also picked up on the test as positive, particularly in care homes.
Andy Burnham expressed his concerns with the ‘R’ rate, as it ‘doesn’t necessarily on its own help the public understand what’s going on in their community’.
A Bury council spokesman said: “These figures are just one source of data that we use to try and gain a sense of the local picture, none of which are perfect.
“These figures are reflective of the number of tests carried out within the period which may be different in different areas and over time.
“Work is underway to develop a more meaningful data set which will help us and the public better understand the number of cases in the borough and local trends.”
Prof Kate Ardern, Wigan Council’s director for public health said: “We continue to monitor various sources to assess the impact Covid-19 is having within our borough and the number of new cases obviously plays a big part in our evaluation.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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