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Outbreak of coronavirus confirmed at Manchester Royal Mail sorting office as 19 staff test positive

A Royal Mail spokesman said that the premises is working with Public Health England to limi the spread - with enhanced cleaning already commencing on site.

The Manc The Manc - 6th August 2020

OliBac / Flickr

An coronavirus outbreak has occurred at a Royal Mail sorting office in Manchester – with 19 staff testing positive.

Further ‘preventative measures’ are now apparently in place at the site on Oldham Road.

The BBC reports that a mobile testing unit has also been set up, with a tracing system being used to contact anyone who may need to self-isolate.

A Royal Mail spokesman said that the premises is working with Public Health England to limit the spread – with enhanced cleaning already commencing.

“We have put in place a range of preventive measures to protect both our customers and our colleagues,” they commented.

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“As well as encouraging good hand hygiene, standard ways of working have been revised to ensure that colleagues stay two metres apart at all times.”

A state of emergency was declared in Greater Manchester on Sunday after a ban on indoor visits was issued by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Police now have powers to enforce the new rules – with those who don’t adhere risking a £100 fine.

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Appeal launched to find the owner of live chickens found at Creamfields festival

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

The hunt is on to find the owner of a pair of chickens who were discovered at Creamfields festival.

The two birds were spotted on the grounds of the huge electronic music festival by bewildered festival-goers.

The cockerel and hen were trapped in a hedge, after it appears they wandered onto the festival campsite before the security barriers were installed.

The birds then found themselves trapped inside as around 70,000 music fans poured into Cheshire for a line-up that included Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Disclosure, and Tiësto.

The chickens have been safely rescued from the Creamfields festival site and are recovering at a wildlife centre, and now the RSPCA is on a mission to find their owner.

Festival-goers first called the RSPCA on Saturday 29 August to alert them to the cockerel and hen trapped inside the festival, one of whom assisted in the rescue mission.

RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper: “I was surprised that they were inside the festival site and I needed to get through the road blocks and security before reaching them on foot through muddy fields. I met the caller who helped me as they were just running up and down the hedge line where there was a wire fence blocking access.

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Where the chickens were discovered at Creamfields
Where the chickens were discovered at Creamfields
The RSPCA wants to track their owners down
The RSPCA wants to track their owners down

“We managed to guide them out and I caught both of them with my rescue net which was a bit of a sight for the festival campers.

“I don’t think they were abandoned and they’re more likely to be stray because it’s farmland all around the festival site. They don’t have any health issues, apart from being quite underweight.

“With the fences going up a week before the festival starts they’d probably been unable to get out for some time and had been left foraging in the hedge. Someone mentioned that a third bird was also trapped, although we couldn’t find any others.

“I am really grateful to the festival-goer who found them and alerted us to their plight.”

@juniormolloy

#creamfields #goldcamp

♬ original sound – juniormolloy

Leanne spoke with a local farmer and while none of his birds were missing, it is believed the pair were being kept on a smallholding in the area.

Both birds are recovering from their ordeal at RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, but if no-one comes forward they will be rehomed.

The cockerel has a distinctive black and orange plumage, while the hen’s feathers are white.

Anyone with any information about the ownership of the birds should contact the RSPCA on 0300 1238018 and quote reference number 01892547.

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Featured image: RSPCA

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Manchester Airport issues update for anyone flying today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday

Emily Sergeant 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’.

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“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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