
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the rise of coronavirus cases in Greater Manchester is “grave” and “worsens with each passing day.”
Speaking at a press conference from Downing Street on Friday, the Prime Minister said cases in Greater Manchester have doubled in the past nine days and high infection rates are being seen across age groups. There were 690 per 100,000 cases in the 16- to 29-year-old bracket and 224 per 100,000 in the over 60 category.
Johnson added that if the present trends continue, in the next two weeks there “will be more COVID patients in ICU than at the peak of the first wave.”
He urged the mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, to “reconsider his position” and “engage constructively” with the government.
The Prime Minister did make signs of an ultimatum, saying “if an agreement cannot be reached, I will need to intervene in order to protect Manchester’s hospitals and save the lives of Manchester’s residents.”