to quote:

"Covid scepticism in Bolton has led to it having the highest infection rate of coronavirus in the country, a local MP has said, as a #thinkingforyourself social media trend gains traction....the Greater Manchester town has the highest rate in England and has featured among the worst-hit areas in Europe....

Yasmin Qureshi, Labour MP for Bolton South East, said many people in the area believed the virus was a fake, government-constructed concept and as a result were refusing to adhere to social distancing guidelines. “There is a lot of confusion about the virus in the area and there are a lot of people now who do not believe it is true,” she said.

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....”

Hayley Brandwood said "I would say that the majority of people around here are not wearing masks when they go into shops and if you do wear one you are considered a sheep. I’ve seen people laughing and shaking their heads at others who are wearing masks".

Earlier this week it was reported that the number of people being admitted to hospital in the town with confirmed or suspected coronavirus was rising. Hospital chiefs also said they were seeing an increased number of patients under-65 being admitted, with some in their in 40s and 50s...."