Indian variant salford

A Salford councillor has said residents should be OK in the face of rising Covid cases of the Indian variant in neighbouring Bolton.

Bolton has seen week-on-week rises of hospital admissions with coronavirus-related illnesses jumping to 43, and an infection rate at 451 per 100,000 – still the highest in the country.

Walkden North councillor Sammie Bellamy said: “Just continue doing what we’ve been doing so far – keeping distance, keeping your hands washed, keeping your masks on.

“With the new data that’s come out about the vaccine, it’s shown it’s got good coverage against the Indian variant, so I think the residents should be okay.”

Made by Simone Harrison

Councillor Bellamy added: “With things starting to open up, I’m sure we’re going to have some kind of slight rise until everybody’s inoculated – but I don’t think we’ll see much of a difference.

“There’s an open centre where people can go and have their vaccines without having an appointment at Walkden Gateway – I think we’re pretty covered.

“Fingers crossed it will all be over soon.”

Councillor Bellamy explained how Salford residents have worked hard to stay safe during the pandemic.

She said: “Cases are dropping across the whole city… I think people are more aware of what’s going on, people don’t want to go into another lockdown.

“People have been a lot more careful than they were before.”

The councillor, who caught Covid earlier this year, has helped support the local community throughout the pandemic, setting up her own voluntary meals on wheels service ‘For the Love of Food’.

She explained: “I know myself what it’s like having Covid. I was really ill and it was touch-and-go whether I was going into hospital or not.”

Here’s how some of Salford’s residents feel about the variant:

Vox Pops Mixdown by Anna Dugdale (soundcloud.com)

For more information on Covid cases, go to Salford Council’s website.

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