Oldham Council has enlisted the help of a cult 00s TV character in the urge to get local residents to follow government guidance and prevent a full “Leicester-style” lockdown in the coming days.
Councillors and government officials have issued last-call warnings to residents of Oldham stating that the borough may be facing full lockdown restrictions “within days” if people do not act now to prevent rising infection rates.
These warnings come after confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have almost doubled in Oldham over the past week.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Oldham Council, the latest figures – released yesterday for the week ending August 8 – show that there have been 255 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Oldham, which is a rate of 107.5 cases per 100,000 people.
The week prior to this there were 137 cases, which is a rate of 57.8 per 100,000.
Katrina Stephens – Director of Public Health for Oldham Council – said officials were discussing with central government the possibility of closing bars, restaurants and gyms in the borough following a “sudden increase” in the infection rate.
Councillor Arooj Shah – Deputy Leader of Oldham Council and Cabinet Member for COVID-19 recovery – added that “there is no time to lose” and “we need everyone to act now and make changes to the way they live, to prevent strict lockdown restrictions being implemented in the coming days or weeks”.
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So, what better way to get this vital message across then? Get Jay from The Inbetweeners to film a video message addressing the residents of Oldham and telling them to “stay safe”, of course.
We understand that might sound like we’re kidding, but we promise we’re not.
If you don't follow the local guidance on #Coronavirus, #Oldham could face a local lockdown so play your part in helping to save lives and preventing the spread of this virus. We ALL have a role to play ? https://t.co/fWEJWxfQrr
The short video message – which Oldham Council is believed to have paid £34 for on the celebrity personalised video-messaging platform Cameo – sees actor James Buckley, who is most famous for his role in the hit E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners, remind Oldham residents of the local coronavirus guidelines.
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He acknowledges that “it is tricky, it is complicated”, but asks residents to “stay safe” and “wait for this thing to blow over”.
After issuing the vital message and urging Oldham residents to follow the guidance, in the vein of his character Jay, he signs off the video by saying “maybe we can all head down the Caravan Club when the time is right”.
Brilliant.
Whilst it’s easy to find humour and make light of the situation here, it is extremely important not to lose sight of the urgent message James Buckley is delivering on behalf of Oldham Council.
People in Oldham are now being reminded:
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Limit the number of people you have contact with and work from home where possible.
Do not have visitors to your home or garden.
If you must meet people from outside your household, you must do so in an outdoor location, maintaining social distancing and avoiding physical contact.
When visiting shops and when on public transport or in other enclosed or crowded spaces, you should wear a mask.
Avoid touching your face and wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds.
Stay safe Oldham.
You can find more information about the local restrictions via the Oldham Council website here, and the latest infection rates across Greater Manchester can be found in full here.
For further information and guidance amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, do refer to official sources via gov.uk/coronavirus.
#StaySafeSaveLives
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BBC is casting for next series of The Traitors and wants Mancs who are ‘good at lying’ to apply
Emily Sergeant
The BBC is currently casting for the next series of The Traitors, and is looking for some deceptive Mancs to take part.
The Traitors is pretty much a cultural phenomenon at this point, let’s be honest.
Producers describe it as a ‘game of trust and treachery’, and there’s always plenty of twists, turns, shocks, and surprises along the way – but do you reckon you’ve got what it takes to play? If so, the BBC is currently casting for the next series of the popular show, and is calling on people in Greater Manchester and across the UK to apply.
Applications are currently open to ‘fun, smart, and strategic players’ who are over 18 years of age and have the right to legally reside in the UK.
The first series of the smash-hit BBC reality competition show proved pretty popular when it premiered back in 2022, but the second series took things to a whole new level, and truly seemed to capture the attentions of the nation like no other – with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the three episodes each week.
Currently, you may be one of the millions watching The Celebrity Traitors, which airs each week on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
But in case you haven’t seen it, The Traitors is, put simply, a competition series that’s built on strategy, suspicion, and deception, where a team of players are tasked with competing in a series of missions – with the more missions they complete successfully, the bigger the prize pot gets.
However, hidden among the players are the ‘Traitors’, who meet in secret and decide who to eliminate from their fellow players known as the ‘Faithfuls’.
The aim for the ‘Traitors’ is to stay undetected until the end, while the aim for the ‘Faithfuls’ is to banish all of the Traitors before the game ends.
Up for it? You have until 31 May 2026 to get your applications in online here.
Featured Image – BBC / Studio Lambert Assossiates
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Tom Aspinall to undergo more eye tests after injury sees title defence fight end in no-contest
Danny Jones
Manc MMA fighter Tom Aspinall is said to need further eye tests after an injury saw his title defence against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 end in a no-contest.
The Atherton-born UFC star was set to face the Frenchman former Muay Thai pro, 35, in the first competitive match since being declared the undisputed heavyweight champion earlier this year.
Aspinall was handed the belt by default after fighting legend Jon Jones retired from the sport, only to seemingly put himself back in training and the testing pool not long after.
Ultimately, the local athlete was unable to fully demonstrate why he’s found himself top dog in the division after an eye-poke from Gane saw Tom unable to continue. Brace yourselves: it’s rather unpleasant to watch…
Unsurprisingly, UFC fans are still wrapped up in fierce debate online, with many arguing whether or not the fight should have been stopped despite Aspinall making it clear he could no longer see properly after the illegal move.
In fact, Aspinall’s father and trainer, Andy, told various media that Tom was still unable to see out of his right eye as an ambulance quickly took him to a nearby hospital following the abandoned bout at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Nevertheless, plenty are questioning the ins and outs of the moment, with some believing that Aspinall was supposedly looking for “a way out” after the early rounds against Gane, while plenty more are wondering whether the eye poke was even ‘accidental’.
The Wigan native gave fight fans plenty of grief back, though, expressing his shock at those up in the stands booing and asking what else they expected him to do.
It was in front of his opponent’s home crowd in Paris, in fairness, but he and his fans were left, nevertheless, disappointed by the reaction following what is an extremely serious injury.
You only have to hear Michael Bisping talk about losing his right eye to know how much it changed his life, and Aspinall actually referenced the fellow Northerner in the aftermath of the eye poke, stating, “I really respect what Bisping has done; he’s done more than I would.
“I wouldn’t carry on fighting with one eye. No chance.”
While doctors have so far assured that there should be no permanent ocular damage, both pain and precaution are inevitable; it will be some time before Aspinall gets back in the octagon, and who knows when we can expect a rematch against Ciryl Gane.
You can watch the highlights before it was called early HERE, and see the ‘Honey Badger’s reaction after the fact on this official Tom Apsinall YouTube down below.
Emily Sergeant -
12th August 2020 
