"My daughter lives in Fallowfield, Manchester. The rate is 863 per 100,000. Highest in the country. "
From the Manchester evening news
Hundreds of people across the city of Manchester have been infected with coronavirus in recent days.
The city currently has the highest infection rate of any area in England with 529.5 cases per 100,000 population in the week ending October 2, according to the latest figures from Public Health England.
There were 2,740 new cases of Covid-19 in the seven days up to October 1.
And the increase is being driven by cases among students aged 17-21.
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Infection rates went up when the students returned to Manchester(Image: ABNM Photography)
More than half (55%) of new cases are in this group.
The problem is predominantly affecting the city’s student suburbs, where numerous cases have been recorded.
Most of those affected are living in university halls of residence and most are asymptomatic, health chiefs say.
Rates among the wider community have not significantly increased compared with other local authorities, they insist.
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Fallowfield - where thousands of students live - remains Greater Manchester’s Covid hotspot with more cases than anywhere else in the country.
A total of 339 cases were recorded there between September 24 and September 30, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.
Councillor Bev Craig, Manchester Council’s executive member for Adult Health and Wellbeing said: “We have seen a significant rise in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported in our city, and I want to reassure Manchester people that our local public health teams are working hard to get the virus under control.
“Analysis shows that much of this increase has come from the many thousands of students coming to or returning to our city, many of whom call Manchester home.
Councillor Bev Craig(Image: Manchester City Council)
“Many of those testing positive are living in student halls. Many are not displaying symptoms and the council is working closely with the universities to make sure that the current outbreaks are contained - and that community transmission in other settings remains much lower to protect those in our community who are more vulnerable to Covid-19.”
Fallowfield’s neighbouring suburbs of Ladybarn and Rusholme East also recorded a high number of cases in the week up to October 1 with 168 and 166 cases respectively.
The area of Hulme and University - where much of Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) student accommodation is situated - recorded 124 cases, while University North and Whitworth Street recorded 81 and Victoria Park had 46.
There are also high case numbers in other south Manchester suburbs including Levenshulme North (49), Rusholme West and Moss Side East (40), Levenshulme South and Burnage North (30), Piccadilly and Ancoats (64) and in the north Manchester area of Crumpsall (58).
People queuing outside Sainsburys in Fallowfield(Image: ABNM Photography)
At MMU, around 1,500 students are currently under lockdown.
The university coordinated testing for more than 800 students last Wednesday. But it is not yet known how many tested positive.
The infection rate high in Manchester comes as infection rates in every Greater Manchester borough were revised upwards following a government computer glitch.
Nearly 16,000 positive cases which had not been reported over the previous ten days were added to the official data over the weekend, Public Health England said.
All those who had positive tests were notified, but the computer error may have led to delays in the test and trace system.
The glitch also means that local authorities in Greater Manchester - and the public - have not been aware of the true level of infections over the past ten days.
More than 380 students and staff at the University of Manchester have tested positive for coronavirus(Image: ABNM Photography)
As such, Manchester’s leaders have today been grappling with the backlog and revised figures.
In Fallowfield public health teams are working around the clock to manage and contain the outbreak.
Council officials say many of those testing positive are living in student halls, though it is not clear how many of those living in houses in multiple occupation (HMO) are affected too.
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In total 382 students and staff at the University of Manchester have so far tested positive for coronavirus.
In the ten days between September 21 and September 30, 370 Covid cases were confirmed among students and 12 among staff, according to the latest data published on the university's website.
The University of Manchester (UoM) has so far ruled out an MMU style lockdown at its halls.
Fallowfield is the region's Covid hotspot(Image: Manchester Evening News)
On Monday, the M.E.N asked if this was now a possibility.
A UoM spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and the wider local community is the University’s primary concern and we will support them in every way we can.
“We are concerned by the rising rate in Manchester and we will be meeting with Public Health colleagues as a matter of urgency to discuss their next steps and what this means for local universities.”
David Regan, Manchester’s Director of Public Health, said the incidence rate among 17-21 year olds is nearly six times higher than in the rest of the population.
There were also 64 new cases of Covid in the over 65 years-old age group in the seven days up to October 1.
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He said: “Manchester currently has high numbers, which was anticipated with the resumption of higher education and return of students to the city, and we prepared for this as part of our 12 point action plan."
He added: “Our approach from the outset with our local prevention and response plan, along with our early warning system, is to act quickly on data so that we contain outbreaks and stop the spread of the virus.
“Our data tells us where the current outbreaks are - and just as importantly, where they aren’t.
"We know our current rates show that the rise in numbers are in the 17-21 year-old-age group - and we also know where those outbreaks are, in particular, in certain student accommodation.
Fallowfield is currently the country's coronavirus hotspot(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“More recent data also shows that there were 339 new cases of COVID-19 in Fallowfield Central MSOA (Middle Layer Super Output Area) in the 7 days ending 30 September. This accounts for a significant proportion of all cases recorded in Manchester over that period.
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