Greater Manchester is a ‘long, long way’ from having to introduce local lockdowns like Leicester - but leaders have stopped short of ruling them out entirely.
Mayor Andy Burnham said the region ‘will be doing everything’' to avoid local restrictions as new figures showed Covid-19 infection rates in some boroughs were higher than expected.
Rochdale, the ‘worst case scenario locally’, has reported 28.8 cases per 100,000, which is less than a quarter of the 135 reported in Leicester.
Cases across Greater Manchester have also been falling while Leicester has been going in the opposite direction, Mr Burnham told a press conference on Wednesday.
The region's figure is 13.3 for the past seven days and falling. Rochdale's rate is highest, at 28.8; followed by Oldham, at 27.8. Trafford is lowest, at 3.4; followed by Wigan, at 4.
When asked if any of the ten boroughs were in imminent danger of a Leicester-style lockdown, Mr Burnham said: “No, the gap between what’s happening here and in Leicester is pretty wide.
“But of course I’m not complacent, the picture can change quite quickly.
“We’re not ruling out that we won't be in a similar situation, but we will be doing everything we can to prevent it.”
The latest infection rates have been calculated by combining ‘pillar one’ data gathered by councils and NHS trusts, as well as ‘pillar two’ statistics from testing centres.
From June 1 the rolling average number of cases in Leicester rose from 29 to 86 in successive weeks. Manchester began that period at 19 and now sits at 12.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester council and chair of the regional health and social care partnership, said: “Four weeks ago we started in not a dissimilar position.
“Manchester has improved over that period of time and Leicester’s position has significantly worsened.
“If I had the same statistics for any of the other districts in Greater Manchester, they will all show an improvement over that period.
“Whilst we may appear to be close we’re actually a long, long way from the position Leicester is in.”
National media reports suggesting Wigan was at risk of a lockdown, despite reporting the second lowest infection rate in Greater Manchester, have also provoked concern.
Mr Burnham said Wigan had seen a percentage rise in infections but it had come from a ‘very, very low’ number of cases.
“It feels to me as though there’s been a briefing at national level about particular places, potentially from political advisers,” he said.
“That is fundamentally wrong and that needs to stop. It can lead to a rumour mill on social media, and that is why today’s data is crucial
“My message to the people of Wigan is don’t follow every rumour on social media. Look to information that’s published by ourselves or indeed officially by the government.”
