Worry over 'endemic' Covid levels in ethnic minorities with lower booster uptake

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Ethnic minorities with lower uptake of the booster are not seeing the same fall in Covid cases as the wider population in Manchester, public health bosses say.

The recent rise in the city's infection rate has mostly affected white British people who have accounted for more than 60 pc of cases since October.

But in the last week, ethnic minorities have started accounting for more cases.

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In particular, Manchester's Pakistani population now makes up more than 10 pc of the total number of cases in the city – almost doubling the proportion.

The proportion of Covid cases in the city's Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi communities has also increased as the figures fall for white British people.

Manchester's director of public health David Regan told the health and wellbeing board yesterday (January 26) that the city has past the latest peak.

However, he raised concerns about how high the 'endemic' infection rate will be when the number of cases level off – and who Covid will continue to affect.

He said: "What's worrying for me is, up until the last few weeks, the majority of cases was mainly our white British population in the city, whereas in previous waves, it had been our black and minority ethnic populations more affected.

"But in the last week, we've seen that shift back. So in our Pakistani community, there's been a higher proportion [of cases].

"It's more of a prediction than anything concrete yet that we are likely to see higher case rates in those communities that have already been most affected by previous waves."

Regan also raised concerns about low vaccine uptake in some communities.

Around 70 pc of Manchester's Chinese, Indian and