Wigan public health director urges safety and caution as pubs and bars re-open

She said good hand hygiene and firmly sticking to social distancing rules were extremely important as the hospitality sector welcomes people back through the doors on Saturday.

Prof Ardern is also the leader of Greater Manchester's track and trace programme and said there were still issues over the quality and completeness of the data coming from the national systems.

However, she did say Wigan's rate of new infections currently stands at 4.6 per 100,000.

This compares to 101,000 in Leicester, where a local lockdown has been introduced.

Despite the encouraging local statistics, Prof Ardern said it would be a huge mistake to think the virus was almost beaten.

She said: "Easing the lockdown does not mean we should be complacent. The virus is still with us, none of us are immune, we don't have a vaccine and we don't have any effective treatments.

"As bars, pubs and clubs reopen it's important people remain very vigilant.

"The way the virus transmits is in our own hands, so it's really important to still observe physical distancing, to still observe good hand hygiene and to still wear face coverings on public transport and in enclosed places.

"Go out and have a quiet drink but do it safely. Be Covid safe and be Covid responsible."

Prof Ardern, who was speaking to the Breakfast programme on BBC Radio 5 Live, suggested a "dedicated Covid manager", rather like a designated driver, who stays off the alcohol could be helpful for ensuring revellers stay within the guidelines.

She also said time-honoured hygiene practices were really important and suggested sitting side by side could also help reduce transmission of the virus.

She said: "Good hand and respiratory hygiene is really important. If you've got a cough or a sneeze, make sure you contain it within a handkerchief, dispose of the tissue and wash your hands afterwards.

"If you haven't got a tissue to hand cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or sleeve. It's an old saying that 'coughs and sneezes spread diseases'."

Wigan Council leader Coun David Molyneux was also keen to emphasise the safety messages on Friday morning.

The town hall asked for residents to avoid anywhere crowded as hairdressers and other businesses re-open this weekend. Some outdoor recreation facilities and public toilets will also be open.

Two households can also meet indoors and stay overnight from Saturday but they must observe "one-metre-plus" guidelines and caution was urged.

Coun Molyneux said: "By working together and following the rules we have one of the lowest infection rates in Greater Manchester. It’s important that we carry on and don’t lose sight of our responsibilities as some of the restrictions start to ease.

"We’ve seen what’s happened in Leicester, and while our current figures make a local lockdown highly unlikely, it’s important we do everything we can to ensure this doesn’t change.”

Speaking on the radio, Prof Ardern also called on the Government to ensure public health bodies across the country have all the information they need.

She said: "There is still work to do on the data around its timeliness and quality. I need intelligence on a real-time basis to make quick decisions for outcome management. Currently there's a three-day data lag and that really isn't quick enough.

"We also need data that's patient identifiable. If I was a GP I would know everything about a patient and it's exactly the same when you are doing diagnosis for a population in a public health outbreak.

"We're working on both the data quality and completeness and its timeliness. That's what we are pushing for very strongly nationally."