Bolton spike in coronavirus cases 'directly linked' to pubs, says Council leader
8 September 2020, 19:13
Bolton council leader says area is twice as bad for Covid than the rest of the UK
The leader of Bolton Council revealed that the spike in cases seen there is linked to the spread of coronavirus in pub settings.
"We've seen over the past two weeks Bolton rise from an infection rate of 12 cases per 100,000 up to what we see today at 120 cases per 100,000," said David Greenhalgh, the leader of Bolton Council.
He told Eddie Mair that the rise in cases in the area "caused us great concern," especially as in recent weeks there had been a reduction of around Greater Manchester.
Mr Greenhalgh admitted that the rise in cases had "direct links with the hospitality sector particularly around pubs," and there had to be action taken to fix the issue.
"We will obviously work with government to slow the spread," he told Eddie.
Eddie prodded the council leader, asking "is this a central government decision you're just going along with?" Mr Greenhalgh dismissed the suggestion and reiterated that the rise in cases in Bolton was absolutely a concern.
"Last night I got a phone call from the Health Secretary himself," he revealed, which outlined the government's decisions and reassured him that heightened restrictions were the only solution.
"The reality is we are twice as bad as any part of the country right now," he added.
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