Covid cases in over-60s fall by almost a third across Wigan

The coronavirus infection rate in the over-60s group was 71.1 per 100,000 in the week ending February 19, 32 pc lower than it had been the previous week.

This was the lowest over-60s weekly incidence rate in Greater Manchester.

It comes as 82,500 vaccine doses have been administered in Wigan with 94 pc of over-70s in the borough now vaccinated as of Sunday (February 21).

The success of the vaccine rollout is recognised as one of the factors contributing to the lower infection rate within Wigan’s older population.

Seven-day rolling rate of new cases by specimen date ending on February 21, 2021 (Credit: gov.uk)

But a high level of compliance among the older age group, lower risk from exposure through work and public health messaging reminding residents of their "personal duties" have also been credited as contributing factors.

Speaking at a live Q&A online, Wigan’s director of public health, Professor Kate Ardern said the reduction in rates in the older population gives residents in the borough some ‘grounds for optimism’.

However, she said transmission in the working age population is still high.

There are now 33 Covid-positive patients in hospitals across Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh – 18 fewer than there had been eight days earlier.

But many are aged between 30 and 44 and predominantly in critical care.

Prof Ardern said younger people are less likely to die due to Covid, but stay in critical care for longer and may be at risk of suffering long-lasting symptoms.

She said: “The younger age population really need to be even more careful with their public health measures – just because you’re younger doesn’t meant not say you can’t get seriously ill with Covid.

“It’s really important to be protecting yourselves, to be getting asymptomatic testing which we’ve got available for workers in the borough through our testing sites, and to really just focus on that social distancing, face covering, hand hygiene.”

Abram and Bickershaw had the highest infection rate in the borough over the week ending February 21, according to the latest government data available.

But with 28 new cases during that period, its seven-day rolling rate of 331.9 cases per 100,000 was 24.3 pc lower than it had been in the previous week.

Leigh North, West and Central all have infection rates above 254 per 100,000 with a 55.6 pc increase in the infection rate in Leigh South taking it to 175.7.

There was also a 50 pc increase in the infection rate in Ashton-in-Makerfield where 24 new cases were confirmed, making its seven-day rolling rate 304.9.

However, the infection rate in Winstanley, Hindley Green and Platt Bridge and Spring View has fallen below 100 cases per 100,000 during the same period.

There were 546 new cases in total in the week ending February 21, reducing the seven-day rolling rate to 166.1 which is 5 pc lower than the previous week.