The number of coronavirus cases has grown faster in Salford than any other part of Greater Manchester in recent weeks.
In the week ending August 16, the infection rate in the borough reached 36.7 per 100,000 people - up from 24.3 a week earlier.
This means that Salford is on 'amber' alert for the coronavirus.
There were a total of 95 cases in Salford in the week ending August 16, up from 63 in the previous week.
The jump in cases marked an increase of just over 50 pc.
That week-on-week increase is higher than anywhere else in Greater Manchester, with only Manchester and Bury showing upward trends among the other boroughs in the region.
There are two hotspots in Salford, according to the latest data released by the government.
In Higher Broughton, there were 18 cases in the week ending August 15.
And in the area designated as 'Salford Central and University', there were ten cases in the same week.
No other area had more than six cases.
The infection rate in Salford was rising when the local lockdown was imposed on July 30.
There was a slight dip but in the last week the upward trend has continued, making the increase even more stark.
City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “At the moment areas of East Salford, Swinton and Walkden have the highest transmission rates of COVID-19 in Salford but the picture changes very rapidly. The highest rates of infection now are among people in their 20s and 30s across communities and they may not even realise they have the virus but can spread it to others who may be more vulnerable.
“Increasing rates is why the government introduced restrictions to stop the spread of the infection across Greater Manchester. If that fails to work, make no mistake, we will be looking at further lockdown restrictions and none of us want that.
“I’m appealing to everyone to pull together and show the Spirit of Salford. The current rules are there for a reason and we need to get behind them, no matter how hard that seems, to reduce transmission of the virus.
“Salford City Council is working closely with the government, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the NHS to get the message to people that we need to act together. Salford CVS has mobilised volunteers and contacted community groups in all areas, prioritising those at most risk.
“We’re stressing the importance of not mixing at each other’s homes right now. It is critical we all understand the need to keep a distance from others, wash our hands regularly and if feeling unwell going immediately for a test and self-isolating.”
