Pupils now off until the New Year as Covid cases continue to impact on schools

direct to your inbox Manchester’s first accommodation service catered specifically for homeless people who identify as LGBT+ opened earlier this week. The Riverside Housing project in the city centre consists of six modern flats providing residents with a safe space ‘free from discrimination’ alongside additional support services.

direct to your inboxCoronavirus cases in Greater Manchester continue to rise, with a 12pc increase recorded in a week.The infection rate for the region as a whole now stands at 178.3 cases per 100,000 people, as of December 20.Despite trends heading in the wrong direction, transmission rates in the region remain far lower than other parts of the country, according to data from Public Health England.The average rate for England is 351.7 cases per 100,000 people, representing a 59pc increase on

direct to your inboxThe new highly transmissible strain of Covid-19 is not thought to have reached Greater Manchester yet, say the region's health leaders. A variant of the virus, which is said to be behind huge spikes in the south of England, is believed to have already reached parts of Cumbria.

direct to your inboxHospital bosses in Greater Manchester are meeting today (December 21) for a rapid review of testing, site access and visiting rules in light of a new variant of coronavirus in the UK.Northern Care Alliance (NCA) - the NHS group which runs hospitals and other health care services in Salford, Bury, Oldham and Rochdale - will today decide whether its infection prevention control measures must be strengthened.It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that the new

had his decks confiscated after holding a rave in the school toilets.Cael Bell found online fame after hosting a 30-minute rave in the bathroom of St.

direct to your inboxCoronavirus infection rates in Greater Manchester have continued to creep up.The rate of infection in our region is up 3.4 per cent week-on-week as of December 16, according to the latest figures.In London, where tough Tier 4 measures have been introduced, infection rates are up 114 per cent week-on-week.‘Christmas bubbles' in London have been cancelled and people are being urged to stay at home. It marks a huge u-turn for the government, who until yesterday planned to relax

Manchester Evening News has created a special widget to help our readers keep up with the changes.

direct to your inboxAll ten boroughs of Greater Manchester are now registering a lower coronavirus infection rate than the national average - although rates are increasing in some boroughs.The latest NHS data released today (Thursday) revealed 218.8 positive tests for every 100,000 people during the week to December 13 across England, an increase of 39 per cent compared to the previous week.Much of that spike is associated with a significant increase in cases in London, which registered 358.7

direct to your inboxCouncils across Greater Manchester have outlined their plans for bin collections over Christmas and the New Year.With Christmas Day and New Year’s Day falling on bank holidays this year, many town halls are having to change their schedules.Bins are being collected in the days leading up to - and after both days - though the exact dates differ from borough to borough.All councils are still urging residents to keep recycling food, cardboard and paper and other recyclable items

direct to your inboxBrilliant footage shows how Manchester was transformed into 1980s New York for The Crown. Parts of the latest installment of the award-winning  Netflix  series were filmed at locations in the city centre back in February.

sparked anger and frustration among education leaders in Greater Manchester.

direct to your inboxAround 400 new homes, including affordable housing inside a historic landmark, are proposed as part of the continued transformation of Ancoats and New Islington.A ‘mobility hub’ with shared car and cycle parking, as well as new commercial and green spaces, also form part of proposals by Manchester council and housing providers.Ancoats, hailed as the world's first industrial suburb on the eastern fringes of Manchester city centre, has undergone major regeneration since the

Parklife will push back its dates from its usual slot in June to take place on September 11 and 12.Formed from the ashes of Joy Division in 1980, New Order went on to become one of the most influential electronic acts of all time with enduring hits including True Faith and Blue Monday.The band released their latest single, Be A Rebel, in September - their first new music since 2015's critically-acclaimed album Music Complete.New Order said: “The connection between ourselves and Manchester has

New Order have announced that they’ll be putting on a huge homecoming show in Manchester next year.Taking place at Manchester’s Heaton Park on September 10, 2021, it will be the band’s first hometown show in four years and promises to be “a defining moment in their illustrious career”. They will be supported by Hot Chip and Working Men’s Club.“The connection between ourselves and Manchester has played a pivotal role in who we are as a band,” New Order said in a statement.

direct to your inboxWeekly cases of Covid-19 across Tameside have dropped down to single figures in areas that had been hotspots for the virus.The infection rate has fallen for another subsequent week in the borough, and now stands at 145.7 cases per 100,000 people as of Wednesday, down 44pc from the previous week.This places Tameside as the third lowest local authority in Greater Manchester for its infection rate.The success of the four week lockdown in suppressing the virus has led to cases

most recent available data.At its peak, the area had 238 confirmed positive tests in the week ending September 29 as the virus spread rapidly through the student population.It's infection rate at the time reached 2,201.1 per 100,000.Only Poynton East and Poynton West on the Stockport - Cheshire border recorded less than three cases in the same week.Meanwhile, the area referred to in government statistics as 'Hulme and University' had just 22 cases in the week ending November 24.The