On the Rise
More COVID variant cases are popping up around Manchester.
Another 50 have been confirmed in south Manchester after surge testing began.
The testing took place in Fallowfield, Hulme, Moss Side and Whalley Range after finding four cases of E484K, a mutation of the Kent strain.
They’ve given out close to 3,000 tests to people living in those areas.
The city council said that anyone who tested positive for the “variant of concern” showed no symptoms.
Manchester councillor Bev Craig says: “We’ve been able to identify over 50 cases of people without symptoms who have come back positive.
“We’ll be able to share this for genomic testing so we can better understand across the country the implications of this strain.”
Infection on the decline
Variant cases may be on the rise, but infection rates in Manchester are steadily declining.
Rates in Manchester have fallen to 190 cases per 100,000 people. Even though the numbers are getting better that rate is still higher than the English average of 142 per 100,000.
COVID-19 prevalence among people over 60 is down to 170 cases per 100,000.
By Wednesday more than 97,000 people in Manchester had received the first dose of the vaccine.
Council is working towards delivering up to 214,000 vaccines by mid-April. (JSL).
