Covid-19 case rates in Wigan rise but hospitalisations fall

There were 1,008 new Covid-19 cases identified in the borough in the seven-day period from June 12 to June 18.

That gives a rate of 306.7 per 100,000 residents.

Wigan s rate of cases of the novel coronavirus is below the average for the city-region but higher than the rates for both the North West, at 233.2 per 100,000 residents, and England at 98.2 per 100,000.

The over-60s weekly rate for Wigan is 62.5 per 100,000, which is also the fourth-highest of the 10 Greater Manchester areas.

Across the borough 21 of the 25 wards saw an increase in the number of cases from the previous week in the latest period, which runs between June 10 and June 16.

The four wards where rates went down were Aspull New Springs Whelley, Hindley, Ince and Tyldesley.

Astley Mosley Common had the highest rate of cases for the latest week, followed by Lowton East. Leigh South, Lowton East and Astley Mosley Common saw the highest relative increases from the previous week.

There were 55 cases identified in Astley Mosley Common and 53 in Lowton East.

More schools in the borough have also recorded positive cases of the novel coronavirus in the latest week compared to the previous one.

Wigan's health protection team confirmed that between June 9 and June 15 there were positive cases involving either staff or pupils at 31 primary schools.

There were also positive cases recorded at nine secondary schools, four colleges and two special schools.

However, there was better news on hospitalisations.

As of June 22 there were 17 Covid-positive patients in the borough's hospitals, a slight decrease from the 19 recorded the previous week.

Two deaths mentioning the novel coronavirus on the certificates were registered in the borough in the week ending June 11.

In total throughout the pandemic 81 per cent of deaths with Covid-19 on the certificates in Wigan have occurred in hospital, with 13 per cent in care homes and four per cent at home.

Local tracing teams had successfully managed 93 per cent of contacts in all the cases escalated to them as of June 23.

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