87,999 people in the borough have now had a second Covid-19 vaccination - pop-up clinics have been set up this weekend and next week

Date published: 11 June 2021

More than 87,900 people in the Rochdale borough have now received their second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and over 129,800 people in the borough have also received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

A number of pop-up vaccination clinics have been running this week and more are scheduled for this weekend and next week. The extra clinics have been put in place across the borough to support the drive to increase vaccination take-up.

 

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Local vaccination programme

Additional Pfizer pop-up clinics will take place at the Phoenix Centre in Heywood on Saturday (12 June) and Number One Riverside in Rochdale on Sunday (13 June) and at Rochdale Infirmary next week (Tuesday 15 - Friday 18 June).

The Phoenix Centre is open between 9am and 3pm on Saturday. This is for anyone aged 18 or over who is registered with a Heywood GP. This clinic is for first doses and second doses, if it is more than 8 weeks since your first dose.

Number One Riverside is open between 9am - 2pm and 3pm - 8pm on Sunday. This is for anyone aged 18 or over who is registered with a Rochdale GP. This clinic is for first doses and second doses, if it is more than 8 weeks since your first dose.

People that are already booked in elsewhere should stick to their existing appointments.
 

Read more: Additional vaccination clinics in Rochdale and Heywood this weekendPublished: 10 June 2021

 

The clinics at Rochdale Infirmary next week are for first vaccine doses only and no appointment is necessary, people can just drop in at any time while the clinic is open.

Those attending the Rochdale Infirmary drop in clinics must be eligible for their first vaccine and not already have an appointment booked in anywhere else.

The eligibility criteria is as follows:

• Aged 25 and over
• Aged 18 and over with an underlying health condition that puts them at increased risk
• Aged 18 and over AND living, caring or working with anyone with an underlying health condition that puts them at increased risk
• Health and social care staff
• Any carers – paid or unpaid
   

Read more: Pfizer vaccine clinics at Rochdale Infirmary next weekPublished: 11 June 2021

 

 

Rochdale’s director of public health says she ‘remains concerned’ about the spread of Covid-19 in the borough, and expects cases will continue to rise as the ‘Delta’ variant takes hold.

The so-called ‘Indian’ or Delta variant is now dominant in the borough and accounts for around 80% of all new cases.

The strain is understood to be around 40% more transmissible than the ‘Alpha’ variant which led to the post-Christmas lockdown. There are also concerns vaccines may be less effective against it – particularly in people who have not had a second dose.

Encouragingly, though, that does not seem to have translated into an increase in hospitalisations or deaths. With 128,000 people jabbed – and more than half having both doses – it suggests the vaccines are doing their job.

 

Read more: Rochdale’s director of public health expects cases will ‘continue to rise’ after Delta surge but no Covid deaths in borough for three weeksPublished: 07 June 2021

 

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Case numbers in the borough have risen in the past seven days. The rate for the Rochdale borough for the week ending 4 June is 143 cases per 100,000 people, up from 91 cases per 100,000 the week before.

 

 

Despite the vaccine roll-out, hospital admissions for Covid 19 in Greater Manchester recently doubled in the space of a fortnight – albeit from a low base.

The number of deaths being recorded with Covid-19 remains very low, but Andy Burnham has warned that the entire system is already under unprecedented pressure from the ‘pent up demand’ that has been suppressed by Covid – so an impact on admissions still has an impact.

On a national level there is concern that the vaccine programme has weakened, rather than broken, the link between infection rates and hospitalisations.

And the more the virus spreads, the more it has a chance to mutate. This could result in a scenario where a variant emerges which evades the current vaccines.

Rochdale, together with the rest of Greater Manchester is set to receive additional resources around surge testing, tracing and self-isolation. A request for military support for testing and vaccinations will be being submitted.

The council has also backed Andy Burnham’s call for vaccination supplies to be brought forward to help maximise uptake and drive down the increasing rate of coronavirus infection levels.
 

Read more: Council calls for extra vaccine supply to tackle rising case numbersPublished: 10 June 2021

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Residents aged 25 and over are now being invited for a jab by the NHS Covid vaccination programme - appointments can be booked through the NHS booking service.

Residents in the Rochdale borough in groups one to nine, which includes everyone aged 50 and over, who have not yet had their first dose of a vaccine can phone or email to book.

Residents aged 50 or over, those who have been advised to shield by the government (the clinically extremely vulnerable), people over 16 with long term conditions, carers and health and social care workers who are registered with a GP in the borough (Heywood, Littleborough, Middleton, Milnrow and Rochdale), can book an appointment at one of the four vaccination centres in the borough by calling 0300 303 0355 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm) or emailing hmrccg.hmr.enquiries@nhs.net.

 

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Lifting lockdown

The latest stage of relaxing lockdown restrictions came into effect on Monday 17 May.

The government is expected to announce on Monday (14 June) whether it will relax restrictions further on 21 June.

The final stage of lifting restrictions would see limits on social contact removed:

• there would no longer be a limit on how many people you can invite to your home
• pubs, clubs, theatres and cinemas would be allowed to operate without capacity limits
• restrictions on the number of people at performances, weddings and other life events would also be lifted

Some scientists have called for a delay to ending lockdown due to concerns about the spread of the Delta variant, first identified in India and now dominant in the UK.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said the government had to be careful not to squander the progress made in tackling the virus.

In an appearance on BBC Breakfast this morning Mr Zahawi said: "We have to be really careful so that those hard-won wars against the virus are not squandered.

"We all know the virus hasn't gone away; it will attempt to mutate," he said. "The Delta variant is more infectious and more severe for those it infects. So, we have to be really careful".

 

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Where to be vaccinated?

The borough has four community vaccination centres in operation; in Rochdale, Heywood, Middleton and Littleborough. These local sites are run by groups of GPs with the support of the council and NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group. Vaccinations are also being administered at Rochdale Infirmary.

There are also 11 large scale vaccination centres and 38 pharmacy led sites across the North West that residents can book through the national booking service online or over the phone.

The national booking system can not be used to book in at any of the local vaccination hubs within the borough. If it is not convenient for you to travel out of the borough for a vaccination, you can opt to wait to be invited to attend one of the local vaccination centres in the Rochdale borough instead.

When it is your turn to receive the vaccine, you will be contacted by Rochdale Health Alliance or your GP surgery and invited to go for your appointment. If you’re not registered with a GP, you will need to register with one.

You must have an appointment to receive the vaccine. You cannot just turn up at one of the vaccination service centres.

Answers to key questions around the vaccination process can be found at:

• www.rochdale.gov.uk/covidvaccine

 

 

The local FAST test programme has four test sites across the borough.

Anyone who cannot work from home or comes into regular contact with the public is encouraged to take up this offer of new Find And Stop Transmission (FAST) testing to protect themselves, their loved ones, and other residents.

The FAST testing programme, which use lateral flow tests, aims to identify those who unknowingly have the virus as they have no symptoms – otherwise known as asymptomatic.

As part of the national roadmap out of restrictions, the government is asking the public to take-up twice weekly FAST testing. This is quick and easy to do and you will be playing your part in helping to stop the spread of the virus, while teams work on the vaccine rollout.

You can take part at your local FAST testing site or through community collect packs.
 

Read more: Covid-19 testing packs available across the boroughPublished: 21 April 2021

FAST tests are only for people showing no symptoms. You must not attend if you have any symptoms. Tests are
free and there is no need to book you can simply turn up at one of the sites across the borough:

Rochdale – Nye Bevan House, Maclure Road, Rochdale, OL11 1DN

• Mon to Thurs 9am - 5pm
• Fri 10am - 6pm
• Sat, Sun & bank holidays 9am - 1pm

Heywood – York House Surgery, York Street, Heywood, OL10 4NN

• Mon 10am - 6pm
• Tues to Fri 9am - 5pm
• Sat, Sun & bank holidays 9am - 1pm

Middleton – Bowlee Sports Centre, Windermere Road, Middleton, M24 4LA

• Mon to Fri 8am - 4pm
• Sat, Sun & bank holidays 9am - 1pm

Littleborough – Hare Hill Bowling Club, Townhouse Road Littleborough, OL15 9BG

• Mon to Fri 8am - 4pm
• Sat, Sun & bank holidays 9am - 1pm

Every Monday (except Easter Monday) at Alkrington Community Centre, Hardfield Rd, Middleton, M24 1TQ – Open 11am to 6pm.

If you have Covid-19 symptoms please do not attend one of the FAST test sites. You should book a test online or by phoning 101.

 

 

The borough has three local test centres:

• Rochdale - in the car park at Rochdale Leisure Centre, Entwisle Road, Rochdale OL16 2HZ
• Middleton - in the marquee on the Market Place Car Park next to Middleton Arena, Old Hall Street, Middleton M24 1AG
• Heywood - Heywood Civic Centre, LCpl Stephen Shaw MC Way, Heywood OL10 1LW

You must drive, walk or cycle to the site - do not use a taxi or public transport. If this is not possible, you'll need to order yourself a home test.

• www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

 

Additional reporting: Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter