Covid: More than 6,000 vaccinated in Bolton over variant

 

More than 6,200 people were vaccinated in Bolton at the weekend amid concerns over the Indian Covid-19 variant.

The town has seen a sharp spike in infections since mid-April and the B.1.617.2 variant now makes up the majority of new cases.

Prior to the push, about 10,000 people in the highest priority groups were yet to be vaccinated.

Dr Helen Wall, who is leading the town's vaccine rollout, said it had been "emotional" to see.

She said many who had been eligible for some time came for a jab over the last two days and she now hoped the programme had "made a big dent" in the list of outstanding eligible residents.

The efforts to get everyone eligible vaccinated saw long queues form at vaccination hubs.

Despite the concerns over the B.1.617.2 variant - which was first found in India - the easing of lockdown rules has gone ahead as planned in England.

The easing allows people to socialise indoors in limited numbers, hug loved ones and visit pubs and restaurants inside.

Alex McVey, who runs Odessa cafe in Bolton, said trade had been OK since reopening at 7:00 BST but, due to Covid measures, he had reduced the number of seats from 72 to 22.

"It has been a lot different this morning. It has taken ages and ages to get set up and everything in place," he said.

Mr McVey, who has been forced to make four members of staff redundant during the pandemic, said he was "a little bit nervous" about the reopening but remained hopeful.

In Bolton, a big push to get more people vaccinated is bearing fruit.

Health officials are targeting about 10,000 people who are eligible but have yet to come forward, but know that take-up of the vaccine in some parts of the town is lower than the national average.

And they reject the charge that they are flouting the national rules on who can get a jab.

In February, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation - which sets the guidelines for the UK's vaccination roll-out - announced factors other than just health and age could be taken into account.

So deprivation, ethnicity and living in a multi-generational household with older, vulnerable relatives could mean that younger people are eligible.

This is not bending the rules, local leaders say. Rather, it is exactly what the rules are for.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday that a local lockdown in Bolton had not been ruled out due to a rise in cases.

He added that the "vast majority" of locals who had been hospitalised in recent days had not taken up the offer of a vaccine.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Dr Wall said the vaccination hubs were "seeing people coming forward that clearly had the option to have the jab for some time - older people, disabled people - and they've chosen to come forward now".

"I think in part that's because we brought this into the community as a trusted place, but also the things that are going on in Bolton are quite worrying for people," she said.

"I think that's given some push to people coming forward now for the vaccine."

Speaking earlier, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng urged those eligible for a vaccine in Bolton to take up the offer to guard against the Indian variant.

"We're not exactly where we want to be among certain communities, but I think the take-up has been much greater in the last few months," he said.

He added that "more and more people are convinced that this is the way to keep themselves and their families safe".

Surge testing has already begun in other areas of north-west England where cases involving the Indian variant are on the rise.

The "variant of concern" has also been detected in Blackburn, Lancashire, which neighbours Bolton, and in Sefton on Merseyside.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been given the "green light to rapidly increase vaccinations", the area's public health director said.

Dominic Harrison said an additional supply of more than 1,000 Pfizer vaccinations would be provided per day for the next two weeks.