GMCA reveals plans to help “prevent local lockdown” in Manchester
The COVID-19 Management Plan - published earlier this week - includes the creation of a local track and trace system known as the 'GM Contact Tracing Model'.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)has revealed a strategy to help “prevent a local lockdown”as coronavirus restrictions loosen in England.
The COVID-19 Management Plan – which was published earlier this week – includes the creation of a local track and trace system known as the ‘GM Contact Tracing Model’.
Mobile testing units will be deployed across the region, with additional staff and resources to be supplied if cases spread across multiple districts.
A GM Local Surveillance System will help to identify ‘hot-spots’ and ‘cold-spots’ within Greater Manchester, and a control team will step in to help halt rising infections.
In the event of a sustained outbreak, “specific buildings and settings may choose to close.”
Professor Kate Ardern, Lead Director of Public Health for the GMCA for Health Protection and Emergency Planning & Response, warned that the “threat from coronavirus is still with us.”
She said: “Every life lost in Greater Manchester is a tragedy and the Greater Manchester Covid-19 Management Plan to control outbreaks aims to limit the spread of the disease and keep us safe.”
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Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who has expressed concern that the easing of lockdown has come “too soon”, has said councils are working together to find ways to reduce transmission.
“I know people here will be concerned at what they’re seeing in Leicester and businesses will be worried,” he stated.
“I hope that by having local and a regional outbreak management plan will reassure the public that we have systems in place to prevent a local lockdown and provide clarity to all those involved in managing coronavirus as we learn to live with it.”
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In the meantime, residents in Greater Manchester are also being encouraged to stick to public health advice, including staying home as much as possible and regular hand-washing.
The GMCA is also reminding citizens to limit contact with others, stay two metres apart where possible, wear face coverings on public transport and get tested if coronavirus symptoms develop.
The COVID-19 Management Plan is set to be kept “under constant review” as the weeks proceed.
Manchester Airport issues update for anyone flying today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has issued an update for anyone catching a flight today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday.
In case you hadn’t heard, hundreds of flights at several major UK airports – including Manchester Airport – were disrupted by a technical fault at air traffic control provider National Air Traffic Services (NATS) yesterday (8 September 2026), with the incident grounding planes and resulting in numerous cancellations.
According to Flightradar24, more than 1,000 flights were cancelled nationwide, and many passengers were told to expect disruption for the rest of the day.
One of the worst-affected airlines was said to be Ryanair, with around 65,000 passengers affected by the cancellations and delays.
Manchester Airport issued its first statement addressing the matter at 3:15pm yesterday, stating: “We are aware of an issue affecting NATS’ air traffic control service at UK airports, which may result in delays to some departing flights from Manchester Airport today.
“Passengers due to travel are advised to check the latest status of their flight with their airline. We will continue to monitor the situation and share further updates as more information becomes available.”
Now, although the issue has been resolved, Manchester Airport has issued further statements informing anyone travelling today what they can expect.
The airport started off by saying that it is ‘operating as normal’ today, but that passengers are advised to ‘check with their airline for the latest information’.
“A full flight schedule is expected to operate [today] but the airport may be busier due to rescheduled flights,” it added.
Passengers were then thanked for their ‘patience and understanding’ over the past 24 hours.
Featured Image – Ivan Shimko (via Unsplash)
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Hundreds of staff at four Greater Manchester hospitals to strike AGAIN next week
Emily Sergeant
Another round of strikes has been called at a handful of major Greater Manchester hospitals.
Amid ongoing disputes following the first set of strikes at the end of last month, it has now been announced that more than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – who are members of the union UNISON will once again walk out for three days next week.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 14, Tuesday 15, and Thursday 17 September.
The union’s North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan, said the trust had given ‘no indication’ that it’s willing to re-enter negotiations, adding that operating theatre services were ‘chronically under-staffed’ and staff were choosing to work extra shifts to cover shortages.
Ahead of the August strikes, the trust declared a critical incident to help it secure extra support and keep urgent surgery running, while also announcing that some procedures would have to be postponed.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
But Gertie Nic Philib, who is the chief people and strategy officer at the Northern Care Alliance, said that the trust will do ‘everything we can to minimise the impact on patients’ and ‘maintain high standards of care and quality at all times.’
“We also have contingency plans in place for emergency situations,” they concluded.
The Manc -
3rd July 2020 
