Confusion, conciliation and anger... Trying to decipher why London is in Tier 2 but Greater Manchester is in Tier 3

direct to your inbox Nine Greater Manchester boroughs now have coronavirus infection rates that are lower than the average for England - but numbers are beginning to creep up in some areas.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester leaders have urged the government to base their review of tiering arrangements on what is happening in the north of England instead of the south.Mayor Andy Burnham remains confident that there is a case for all ten boroughs to come out of Tier 3 at once with Covid-19 infection rates falling by 20 per cent since December 2.However he admitted ahead of the government’s announcement tomorrow that it was ‘more borderline’ in boroughs where rates remain above

direct to your inboxThe coronavirus infection rate has fallen in Greater Manchester - but it is soaring in London.The latest figures from Public Health England reveal there were 154.9 positive tests for every 100,000 people in Greater Manchester for the week ending December 11, a fall of four per cent compared to the previous week.During the same period, the infection rate in London soared by 61 per cent to 296.8 - double that in Greater Manchester.Government scientists are trying to establish

was scrapped after the government intervened. And now the government - which last week said schools could close one day earlier than planned - has threatened legal action against Greenwich Council in London to stop its move to have pupils learning remotely this week.

direct to your inbox The latest coronavirus infection rates for every local authority in England have been released.

direct to your inboxCoronavirus has brought heartache to thousands of families across Greater Manchester.More than 3,800 people have died in our region's hospitals alone. And tragically, this number is continuing to rise.Behind the Covid-19 death statistics that we publish each day are human beings who all had stories to tell.

direct to your inboxTwenty-six more people have died from coronavirus in Greater Manchester's hospitals.The region's hospital death toll has risen to 3,900, the latest NHS figures show.Nine more Covid-related deaths were recorded by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust in its 24 hour data.The trust runs the Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI), Wythenshawe Hospital, the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Saint Mary's hospital.Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed five new deaths.

direct to your inboxThe latest coronavirus infection rates demonstrate a widening gap between northern and southern boroughs in Greater Manchester.Public Health data from the week ending December 6 shows that boroughs which lie south of the city now have an infection rate lower than the national average.It comes as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the disparity in rates could see the conurbation split up into different tiers when the government come to review the system next week.He

direct to your inboxCoronavirus infection rates in Greater Manchester are flattening out, as cases in London continue to rise.Rates had been falling in all 10 boroughs for a number of weeks, but that trend appears to be plateauing - with one borough seeing a rise in cases.Meanwhile in London, the infection rate has been rising upwards for a number of days, now surpassing Greater Manchester and the national average by some way.The latest rates were calculated on December 5 - three days after the

hereAnd earlier this week it emerged that the rate in Greater Manchester was lower than the rate in London on the day the capital was placed under Tier 2 rules while we were put under tougher Tier 3 restrictions.The gap between our region and the capital has continued to widen, according to the latest data released by Public Health England this afternoon.London now has a infection rate per 100,000 people of 182.6, compared with the rate of 159.2 in Greater Manchester.It was hoped that the

direct to your inboxThe gap between the coronavirus infection rate in Greater Manchester and London is beginning to widen.On Sunday, the M.E.N reported that the rate of infection in the capital on the day the country was moved into separate tiers was in fact higher than our area.Whilst cases were falling across our conurbation when the country come out of lockdown, positive tests were rising in London.In the week ending December 3, the infection rate in London climbed from 169.32 to 173.7 per

direct to your inboxEighteen more people have died from coronavirus in Greater Manchester's hospitals.The region's hospital death toll has now risen to 3,787, the latest NHS figures show.Thirteen new deaths were recorded at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the organisation in charge of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital, Saint Mary's and the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed four new deaths.

direct to your inboxThe coronavirus infection rate was higher in London than in Greater Manchester on the day our area moved into Tier 3.In the week ending December 2, cases of Covid-19 in the capital were in fact rising, unlike here.The rate of infection in London was 169.32 per 100,000 people on the day the city went into Tier 2.This means that hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants were allowed to re-open, as long as a substantial meal is served alongside alcohol.On the same day in

direct to your inboxCoronavirus infection rates have fallen in the region for the 26th day in a row.Cases are falling faster in Greater Manchester than they are in England as a whole, as well as in London - where rates are only two per cent down on the previous week.Our overall rate is now 173.2 -  down 69 per cent from its peak on November 2, when it was 569.1.  Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletterYou can sign up very simply by

direct to your inbox The latest coronavirus rates for each local authority in England over the last week have been revealed. Thursday's update of the rolling seven-day rate of new cases for the seven days to November 29 reveal which areas of the country are seeing reductions in infections - and the ones that are increasing.

with some calling the decision a ‘disgrace’.But speaking at the council’s public engagement board this morning Eleanor Roaf, Trafford’s Director for Public Health, said: “I know there’s been a lot of disappointment in some quarters about the fact that we’re still in tier 3, but I think that even though our rates are lower than some other places that are not in tier 3, we do have to recognise that we’re part of Greater Manchester.“People travel in and out of our borough all the time, for work in

The Environment Secretary has defended the Government’s decision to place Manchester in Tier 3 of the new coronavirus restrictions.The region will be placed in the highest tier when the national lockdown comes to an end in England later this week.Many have criticised the decision as several boroughs in London - going into Tier 2 this week - have higher infection rates than Trafford and Stockport.But Environment Secretary George Eustice has explained that there are several reasons for placing the

What do you think? Have your say in our c omments section. Click here to join in the conversation... Mary Robinson, Conservative MP for Cheadle, described a 'borough by borough basis' as the right way forward, adding: "I'll continue to argue for this approach and that provisions are in place for our hospital to manage both Covid and winter pressures."Mr Wragg agrees, arguing that, although rates in Stockport are still high, they have dropped by a third in the last week - bolstering the case for