Bolton’s high COVID rate is being made worse by conspiracy theories, says MP
Yasmin Qureshi, Labour MP for Bolton South East, believes conspiracy theories and scepticism over legitimacy of the virus have seen virus cases rise in the town.
A local MP says that conspiracy theories around coronavirus have contributed to Bolton becoming the worst-affected area in England.
The Greater Manchester borough is under tighter restrictions following a surge in positive test results in recent weeks, with local hospitality operating a takeaway-only service and most other venues required to close between 10pm and 5am.
Casinos, skating rinks and bowling alleys are banned from trading.
Residents are also forbidden from meeting anyone outside their support bubble, inside or outside.
But despite the new restrictions, Bolton COVID cases have continued to climb, and Labour MP for Bolton South East Yasmin Qureshi has expressed concern that people are ignoring the rules as they’re questioning the legitimacy of the virus.
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“There is a lot of confusion about the virus in the area,” she said.
“There are a lot of people now who do not believe it is true.”
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Wikimedia Commons
A hashtag that rejects government rules and regulations, #thinkingforyourself, is gaining momentum and spreading across local forums and social media.
Qureshi added: “They genuinely believe it’s some kind of conspiracy.
“A lot of them don’t understand the rules either and so there are many who just aren’t following them – they think it is a way of controlling them somehow.
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“It is very dangerous.”
Bolton’s COVID rate is 187.8 cases per 100,000 people, with hospital admittances also increasing.
According to health experts, males in their 40s and 50s are among those worst affected.
David Dixon / Geograph
Alongside Bolton, the nine surrounding Greater Manchester boroughs are on ‘red alert’ due to a spike in cases in the North West.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already confirmed the presence of a second wave in the UK, with as many as 11 million people in Britain now living under tighter restrictions.
Chief medical personnel Chris Whitty and Patrick Valance are due to give a press conference later today to update the public on the situation, with concerns that the infection rate is “heading in the wrong direction.”
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Major headliner pulls out of Manchester Village Pride
Daisy Jackson
One of the Manchester Village Pride headliners has had to pull out of their scheduled appearance, just one day before the celebrations begin.
Nadine Coyle was supposed to be headlining the LGBTQ+ event on Friday 27 August.
But in a statement shared by Manchester Village Pride today, they announced that the former Girls Aloud star is ‘under the weather’.
Nadine will be pulling out of her headline slot to ‘rest and recuperate’, but added that she hopes to see Manchester for Pride again soon.
Thankfully, Manchester Village Pride has already found a suitably fabulous replacement for the main stage on Friday – B*Witched.
The iconic Irish girl group will be encouraging ticket-holders to dig out their double denim and dance to hits like C’est La Vie and Rollercoaster.
In the statement shared by Manchester Village Pride, Nadine’s team said: “Nadine is so sorry to have to step out of Manchester Village Pride this year. It was her very first Pride many years ago and she loves getting to spend time with you all.
“Nadine’s voice has been under the weather and she only wants to give absolute best to you all which sadly won’t be possible this weekend as she needs time to rest and recuperate.
“We hate to do it so near the day. Nadine was really hoping she was going to be well enough and hopes she can see you in Manchester for Pride again soon.
“Thank you for being so kind and understanding and we hope you have a wonderful weekend.”
Manchester Village Pride added: “We know how excited many of you were for a massive hit of 2000s pop nostalgia, and we promised you a party. We’ve been working around the clock, and we are beyond thrilled to announce that pop royalty B*WITCHED are stepping in at the eleventh hour!”
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
The Manc -
21st September 2020 
