Star date: 16th September 2020

'UNACCEPTABLE' THAT PEOPLE CAN'T GET VIRUS TEST

Salford has 39 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the cumulative total to 2,240. There have been no new virus-related deaths at Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Greater Manchester Mayor's spokesperson says that "It is not acceptable that people here cannot access a test locally", as Salford and Eccles MP, Rebecca Long Bailey, issued a tweet and video slamming the Government..."Easing lockdown rested on test, track, trace and isolate, we haven't got that!"

Full details here...

Salford has 39 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the cumulative total to 2,240, up from the previous day's 2,201.

Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, cases in Manchester rose to 5,118 (up from 5,053), followed by Oldham with 3,372 (up from 3,327), Bolton 3,383 (up from 3,302), Rochdale 2,608 (up from 2,575), Wigan 2,587 (up from 2,564), Tameside 2,348 (up from 2,323), Stockport 2,210 (up from 2,191), Trafford 1,881 (up from 1,867) and Bury 1,882 (up from 1,852).

There have been no new virus-related deaths announced by Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, Salford residents have contacted the Salford Star about the lack of testing availability and, where testing was available, some were asked to go as far as Deeside and Sheffield.

In response, a spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has slammed the Government..."At a time when Greater Manchester is being bit harder by COVID than any other part of the country it is not acceptable that people here cannot access a test locally" he says "Our local authorities are doing all they can to increase capacity in places like Bolton but we are hamstrung by serious issues with the national booking system and nationally run sites. 

"The Government must act immediately to get this sorted and work with us to establish a better long term solution to this problem" they add "We would ask people to try booking an appointment only if you have coronavirus symptoms or you have been asked to get tested."

Yesterday, Salford and Eccles MP, Rebecca Long Bailey, issued a tweet also damning the Government ..."People across Salford and GM still struggling to access Covid tests" she wrote "Schools reporting cases, care homes seeing outbreaks and infection rates rising. It's critical Gov ramps up testing resources urgently. Easing lockdown rested on test, track, trace and isolate, we haven't got that!"

Along with the tweet, the Salford MP issued a Zoom video...

"Salford is a city on red alert" she said "We're clearly well above the 'R Rate' of one, cases are rising exponentially and we've reportedly seen twelve care home outbreaks in the last week plus three devastating care home deaths.

"And the world beating testing that the Government promised us...well, as an MP I've been inundated this week with calls from worried parents who can't access tests for their children" she added "One mother called me and was advised to go to Inverness for God's sake, despite having a raft of test centres locally.

"And what has the Government done in response to this?" she asked "Well they've told us to get back to work, they told us that going to the pub was fine, going for a meal is fine; they've told us to go to school, despite ignoring calls from teachers' unions to have a Plan B in the event of an outbreak and to properly plan for blended school and at home learning.

"And in Salford, ironically, we can do all those things apparently" she concluded "but we're told that keeping the infection rate down rests upon us not visiting our nan in her back garden; come on..."

Yesterday, the Government also issued a press release stating that a new walk-through coronavirus testing facility had opened at Mere Hall Road Car Park in Bolton, 'in partnership with Sodexo', as part of the Government's UK-wide "drive to improve the accessibility of coronavirus testing for communities...
 
"Anyone with coronavirus symptoms, however mild, can get a free swab test that takes less than a minute" it chirped "Tests should be booked or ordered as soon as symptoms begin at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119 and you can expect your result the next day..."

Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, added: "Getting a test is now faster and easier than ever. Local sites will mean anyone who has symptoms can get a free test quickly to find out whether they have the virus and need to stay at home, or can safely return to work and get back to the things they love.
 
"Over 95% of people will get their results the next day, and anyone who tests positive will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help to prevent the spread of the virus" she explained.

Unfortunately, it now looks as if the most serious health crisis in living memory has descended into a political PR battle...but the truth lies in people's own experiences.