Coronavirus rates increase across Greater Manchester as region records almost 18,000 new weekly cases

Coronavirus infection rates have continued to rise in all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, new figures have revealed. The region has recorded almost 18,000 new cases in the week ending March 26.

Trafford continues to have the highest coronavirus infection rate in Greater Manchester, with a rate of 844.8 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending March 26. The lowest infection rate is in Oldham, where the rate is 431.8 cases per 100,000 people.

In Greater Manchester as a whole, the infection rate is now 623.8 cases per 100,000 population. However, this rate is still lower than the national average, which is 873.1 cases per 100,000 people.

READ MOREGreater Manchester is battling 'new Covid wave' with rates in 11 areas surging to over 1,000

A total of 17,688 people tested positive for coronavirus across Greater Manchester in the week which ended on March 26. The Greater Manchester weekly total has increased by 2510 cases compared to the previous week, which means the infection rate was up 17 per cent in the last week

Hospital admissions

In the week ending on March 20, a total of 567 patients were admitted to Greater Manchester NHS hospitals with Covid-19. That is 156 more than the week before, a rise of 38 per cent

On Tuesday March 22, there were 14 Mechanical Ventilation (MV) beds occupied by Covid patients in Greater Manchester NHS hospitals. That is four more than a week earlier.

Deaths

In the week ending March 26, a total of 25 people died within 28 days of a positive Covid test across Greater Manchester, which is 3 more than the week before.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 950,977 confirmed coronavirus cases in Greater Manchester. There has been a total of 8,871 deaths.

Cases reported in