Bolton is recording the second lowest coronavirus infection rate in the north west despite a slight rise in cases over the last seven days.

The town, which has often recorded the highest infection rate in the UK over the pandemic, still has the lowest infection in Greater Manchester.

Bolton was the first area to see a spike in cases due to the spread of the Delta variant in May.

This led to surge vaccination and testing to be implemented across the borough by the local public health team along with local NHS and CCG teams with the help of countless volunteers.

The Bolton News: An electronic notice board in Bolton town centre, one of the areas of the UK where the Covid variant first identified in India is spreading fastest. Picture date: Tuesday May 25, 2021.

Testing and vaccination teams are still working across the town to jab as many residents as possible and keep the infection rates coming down.

Cases continued to come down for some time, only rising slightly on occasions before coming down again, as has happened in the latest figures.

In the seven days to August 30, Bolton recorded 672 new positive cases of Covid-19, equalling an infection rate of 233.1 new cases per 100,000 residents in the borough.

The Bolton News: People queuing for Covid vaccinations at the ESSA academy in Bolton as the spread of the Indian coronavirus variant could lead to the return of local lockdowns. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

This is a slight rise on te previous seven days, to August 23, where the town saw 669 new cases at a rate of 232.1 per 100,000.

Half of the boroughs of Greater Manchester have also seen a rise in infections, with Tameside recording by far the highest, with 406 new cases per 100,000 residents.

Only Rossendale, in East Lancs, is recording a lower infection rate than Bolton in the north west as a whole.

The town saw 166 new positive cases in the seven days to August 30, equalling an infection rate of 232.4 cases per 100,000 residents.

Greater Manchester infection rates

From left to right: name of local authority; nation or region of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to August 30; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to August 30; rate of new cases in the seven days to August 23; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to August 23.

Tameside, North-west England, 406.0, (922), 400.7, (910)

Stockport, North-west England, 350.4, (1031), 349.1, (1027)

Salford, North-west England, 318.6, (837), 356.3, (936)

Trafford, North-west England, 317.4, (754), 312.7, (743)

Bury, North-west England, 289.4, (552), 266.9, (509)

Wigan, North-west England, 269.7, (892), 286.4, (947)

Oldham, North-west England, 268.9, (639), 300.0, (713)

Manchester, North-west England, 268.3, (1491), 316.5, (1759)

Rochdale, North-west England, 247.7, (554), 270.1, (604)

Bolton, North-west England, 233.1, (672), 232.1, (669)