Bolton 'not going in to local lockdown'

David Greenhalgh, Conservative leader of Bolton Council in Greater Manchester, says the town is not being subject to any additional restrictions and there is no local lockdown. "This is a very a challenging time for Bolton and we will continue to do everything we can to address these rates," he says. Greenhalgh says there has been a degree of confusion but after speaking to senior officials and the government "there are no added restrictions coming to Bolton, there is no local lockdown". He says this is a "considerable relief" as he and colleagues have argued that local lockdowns do not work and Bolton has already had "disproportionately unfair experience" of them.

Burnham begins press conference

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is holding a press conference with other leaders in the region in which they are expected to comment on the new guidance for areas, including Bolton, which have seen increased cases of the Indian variant. Bolton recorded 451 overall cases of Covid per 100,000 people in the week to 20 May, the highest in England. The advice, which includes not travelling to and from the areas unless it is essential, was published online on Friday without an announcement and urges "an extra cautious approach".