The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham ended his weekly press conference by saying that on this grey day, there is a little more light at the end of the tunnel as the region heads into the last few weeks of lockdown.
Infections are at their lowest level in the region since the 10th September while the region is close to vaccinating over a million people with more than half of adults now having had their first jab.
However the Mayor emphised that there was still a long way to go and warned that rates were likely to increase as schools returned and more testing was carried out, echoing the warning of Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty yesterday.
There are also concerns aboy the take up of vaccines across the community with the region working with community leaders to get the figures up.
“People” are “reluctant rather than refusing” said the Mayor recognising the issue and suggesting that building of confidence within communities and more flexibility around vaccination sites was the answer.The Mayor added that he has met with leaders from both the Jewish community and the Muslim community in recent days.
He also commented on reports of a wastage of vaccine at the Etihad vaccination campus saying that this was not the case-There had been a couple of weeks ago, empty vaccination slots but this had not resulted in wasted vaccine.Since the advent of the national bookiong system, the issue had been resolved.
Asked to comment on the report this morning that the “Unimaginable” cost of Test & Trace failed to deliver central promise of averting another lockdown, the Mayor said that he was astounded at the amounts spent and suggested that it could have been done at less expense and with better results at a local level
Deputy Mayor Baroness Beverley Hughes commented on the call from Greater Manchester’s police Federation that all police should be vaccinated.She told the press that she had made the case for police priority but all requests have so far fallen on deaf ears-The same calls, she added could be made for teachers and transport workers
