TAMESIDE’S council leader has urged residents to follow the new rules stopping people socialising at each others homes ‘vigilantly’ after a rise of coronavirus cases in the borough.
Social distancing street markings are in place across TamesideA major incident has been declared in Greater Manchester after Covid infection rates continued to climb into the end of July – including particularly big spikes in Manchester and Tameside, plus a sustained steep rise in Oldham.
Stricter measures were brought back in by the government on Thursday, July 30 to restrict different households mixing to try and bring case numbers down.
Infection rates for the week to July 29 show cases per 100,000 people rising in every part of the conurbation, apart from Rochdale.
Those in Manchester and Tameside have more than doubled in seven days, while Oldham’s remain the highest and the fastest-growing.
In the week ending July 18, figures released by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority showed that Tameside had a seven day infection rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people.
But a week later, by July 27 this had risen to 16.3.
Council leader Brenda Warrington said: “Over recent days we have seen a rise in new cases of Covid-19 across Greater Manchester and independently in Tameside.
“We must now react quickly by adopting these new measures to maintain control and prevent a continued rise in the number of cases.
“We need to protect ourselves and our loved ones and the more we all stick to the new rules, the sooner the restrictions can be lifted.
“I am therefore asking that all our residents follow the new rules vigilantly.”
Cllr Warrington said they would be monitoring the data and reviewing the situation weekly, and residents would be kept updated of any further changes.
“I am so proud of the way our Tameside communities have responded to this pandemic so far and we need to retain our commitment to preventing the spread of the virus and adhere to the new guidelines,” she added.
The new measures for Greater Manchester, first announced on Twitter by health secretary Matt Hancock, ban separate households from meeting each other at home.
The rules also ban members of two different households from mixing in pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues.
However those businesses are permitted to remain open for those visiting individually or from the same household.