Stricter Covid-19 guidance for Lancashire and Greater Manchester

Matt Hancock's announced that people in Lancashire and Greater Manchester should "minimise essential travel" amid rising Covid-19 rates in the North West.

The government has announced both regions will be given a "strengthened package of support" which means stricter advice on travel and who we can meet with as well as more resources for local health teams.

It's in a bid to tackle rising COVID-19 infection rates which have continued to increase in the North West.

The latest stats show on average, across the region, 111.5 people per 100,000 people now have the virus but that number is as high as 516.4 in Blackburn with Darwen.

The average case rate for England is 40.6 infections per 100,000 people.

Of the top 10 areas in the country worst affected by COVID, all 10 are in the North West, they are:

• Blackburn with Darwen

• Bolton

• Rossendale

• Hyndburn

• Burnley

• Ribble Valley

• Manchester

• South Ribble

• Salford

• Bury

Whilst there will be no change to the law, the government is now advising people not to meet indoors where possible, to stay local and to cut down on non-essential contact.

There will also be more resources given to local vaccine and test and trace teams.

The new guidance, which can be found here, advises people to:

Meet outside rather than inside where possible

Keep 2 metres apart from people that you don’t live with (unless you have formed a support bubble with them), this includes friends and family you don’t live with

Minimise travel in and out of affected areas

People are also advised to regularly get lateral flow tests to see if they currently have COVID.

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• coronavirus