[ad_1]
The government is to provide extra support to Greater Manchester and Lancashire to tackle a rise in cases of the Delta coronavirus strain first identified in India.
The measures will include extra testing, as well as supervised in-school testing, and military support.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the approach had previously worked in south London and Bolton.
He announced the enhanced support as he told MPs the government faces a “challenging decision” over whether to lift remaining lockdown restrictions across England on June 21.
He also made an appeal to those living in Greater Manchester and Lancashire to get tested and to have a coronavirus vaccine as soon as they are eligible, adding “because that is our way out of this pandemic together”.
Official statistics released yesterday showed just a tiny number of those in hospital with the Indian strain of the virus have had two doses of the vaccine.
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said any delay to England’s roadmap to lift lockdown would only last a couple of weeks, because of the success of the vaccination programme.
Mr Hancock told MPs: “We are providing a strengthened package of support, based on what’s happening in Bolton, to help Greater Manchester and Lancashire tackle the rise in the Delta variant that we are seeing there.
“This includes rapid response teams, putting in extra testing, military support and supervised in-school testing.”
“I want to encourage everyone in Manchester and Lancashire to get the tests on offer,” he added.
“We know that this approach can work, we’ve seen it work in south London and in Bolton in stopping a rise in the number of cases.
“This is the next stage of tackling the pandemic in Manchester and Lancashire and of course it’s vital that people in these areas, as everywhere else, come forward and get the jab as soon as they are eligible because that is our way out of this pandemic together.”
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We want to provide the package of support that has been effective in Bolton to a wider area… to tackle the cases of the Delta variant.”
[ad_2]
Source link
