Oldham has today become the latest place to introduce tighter coronavirus restrictions after a 240 per cent surge in cases.
Official NHS statistics show 119 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the Greater Manchester town in the week up to July 25.
This equates to a rate of 50.5 cases per 100,000 people — the third highest rate in the country, behind only Blackburn with Darwen and Leicester.
Council bosses have now urged the borough’s 235,000 residents to not let any visitors into their home for at least two weeks.
They are keen ‘to prevent a strict local lockdown being put in place’ like that seen in Leicester.
It puts Oldham at odds with the rest of England, after lockdown rules were relaxed earlier this month to let people to stay overnight with loved ones.
Everyone living in the Greater Manchester borough has also been asked to keep two metres apart from friends and family when seeing them outside.
Current government advice for the rest of the nation recommends a one metre-plus rule — but people should keep two metres apart where possible.
Oldham has today become the latest place to introduce tighter coronavirus restrictions after a 240 per cent surge in cases. Pictured is the town and nearby Blackburn with Darwen, which is also facing tougher rules
Some 119 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the Oldham, Greater Manchester, in the week up to July 25. Pictured, the town on March 26
Leicester remains the only city in the UK to have had a local lockdown. Officials may announce the lifting of its coronavirus-fighting measures this weekend.
Other areas of England have also imposed restrictions to contain the virus, including Blackburn with Darwen and Luton.
Arooj Shah, deputy leader of Oldham Council, said: ‘We’re urging residents to take the risk of coronavirus seriously and to stick to the guidelines.
‘We know people across Oldham desperately want to see their friends and family, and get back to normal.
‘But these restrictions are essential if we are to stop the spread of coronavirus and prevent a strict local lockdown being put in place, as we have seen elsewhere in the country.’
The local council said a significant proportion of recent cases involve multiple individuals testing positive within a household, pointing towards household spread as the issue, especially in households with large families.
Around 20 per cent of the borough’s population are from Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage compared to the 2.8 per cent average in England and Wales.
It is known people of an ethnic minority background are at a higher risk of catching Covid-19.
Some reasons for this may include that they are more likely to live in poverty, have lower-paid jobs, and live in densely-populated areas of cities and towns.
Along with other towns with a large Asian population suffering elevated infection rates, public officials and local politicians say large families, often living in small terraced houses and looking after elderly relatives at home, explain the ethnic population’s vulnerability to the disease.
There is also concern the way public health messaging is being communicated to areas where English may not be the first language.
Blackburn with Darwen, which is also under tighter coronavirus restrictions to prevent a local lockdown, has also seen the majority of new cases in ethnic minorities.
The day after the council announced new rules, on July 14, a local health chief revealed a staggering 85 per cent of the new Covid-19 infections were among the South Asian population.
Council bosses have now urged the borough’s 235,000 residents to not let any visitors into their home for at least two weeks. It has not closed the hospitality sector, pictured opening on July 4
Oldham’s councillor Ms Shah stressed the best way to avoid infection was to limit contact with others as much as possible.
Non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants, cafes and hairdressers are still open, however.
People are still allowed to meet in groups of six as long as everyone is socially distanced and outdoors – which are current national guidelines.
And gatherings larger than six ‘should only take place if everyone is exclusively from two households or support bubbles,’ Ms Shah has reminded Oldham residents.
She advised to avoid taking part in gatherings of more than 30 people, which is currently prohibited across England.
Ms Shah asked people to ‘please wear a mask where you cannot keep at least two metres from others, particularly in indoor public spaces when you are around people you do not usually meet’.
‘Stay home wherever you can, including working from home limit contact with other people and respect social distancing where you do go out; keeping at least two metres from those not in your household and avoid shaking hands or hugging,’ she said.
Katrina Stephens, director of public health for Oldham, urged anyone with symptoms of the coronavirus – namely a fever, persistent cough or loss of taste and smell – to get a test.
She added: ‘If we all do our bit and stick to the restrictions now, we can help stop the spread of coronavirus, and protect ourselves and our loved ones.’
Health chiefs at Public Health England have listed a handful of authorities as an ‘area of intervention’ because there has been a spike in Covid-19 cases.
An area of intervention is one ‘where there is divergence from the measures in place in the rest of England because of the significance of the spread’.
Leicester, Oadby and Wigston, Blackburn and Darwen, and Luton are all currently areas of intervention.
A range of measures might be introduced in an area of intervention if officials think it is necessary.
They could close outdoor public places, restrict travel for anyone other than key workers, and close businesses including shops.
An ‘area of concern’ is the lowest level on the watchlist. It includes Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Northampton, Peterborough, Rochdale, Rotherham and Wakefield.
The government had dropped Oldham from its watch list of areas of concern due to a fall in the infection rate in previous weeks. Data shows the town’s cases have fluctuated during July.