For all the latest news from in and around Bolton, sign up for the free MyBolton newsletter As Bolton’s infection rate became the worst in the UK, Boris Johnson and his ministers scrambled for a solution to what has rapidly become a regional - and national - health crisis.
Just days ahead of the UK’s planned easing of restrictions, Mr Johnson warned the planned return to ‘normality’ could slip to a later date if the Indian variant ‘takes off’.
Although admitting he was ‘anxious’, Mr Johnson said there may be ‘things we have to do locally’, including surge testing and tracing - but he didn’t rule out a return to local lockdowns.