The coronavirus infection rate in Bolton is continuing to rise, however, no deaths have been recorded in nearly two weeks.

Bolton Public Health officials yesterday told a press conference that the infection rate among young people was very high in the borough and that the majority of new cases are believed to be of the Indian variant.

Surge testing and a drive on vaccinations in the Rumworth, Deane and Great Lever areas, which have all seen cases of the Indian variant, are ongoing according to health chiefs.

This has prompted calls for all over 16s in Bolton to be vaccinated, with mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, saying this is being considered in order to combat the rising infection rates in the town.

Bolton has the second highest coronavirus infection rate in England, only behind Erewash in Derbyshire, which has seen an even bigger spike in infections.

In the seven days to May 7, Bolton recorded 437 new positive cases of Covid-19, at an infection rate of 152 cases per 100,000 residents in the borough.

This is a significant increase on the previous seven days, to April 30, where the town recorded 214 new positive cases at a rate of 74.4 cases per 100,000.

Despite this, there have been no deaths recorded from Covid-19 at the Royal Bolton Hospital in nearly two weeks.

The last patient died of coronavirus at the hospital on April 26, according to NHS England, with 648 people dying of Covid at the hospital since the start of the pandemic.

Coronavirus infection rates have risen in some other boroughs in Greater Manchester, however, all are still recording a rate under 50 cases per 100,000 residents.

Rates have risen in the seven days to May 7 in Rochdale, Manchester, Stockport, and Wigan.

Greater Manchester infection rates

From left to right: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to May 7; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to May 7; rate of new cases in the seven days to April 30; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to April 30.

Bolton, 152.0, (437), 74.4, (214)

Rochdale, 45.9, (102), 34.2, (76)

Manchester, 38.7, (214), 34.0, (188)

Salford, 30.9, (80), 38.2, (99)

Trafford, 29.9, (71), 46.3, (110)

Stockport, 28.6, (84), 21.1, (62)

Wigan, 27.7, (91), 21.3, (70)

Oldham, 27.4, (65), 31.2, (74)

Tameside, 24.7, (56), 26.0, (59)

Bury, 20.4, (39), 22.5, (43)