Seven Greater Manchester schools to shut early for Christmas - to stop families having to isolate over festive period

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.

“At lower levels, snow is expected to be transient, but at higher elevations – say above 200-300 metres in areas like the Peak District – there is a risk of it settling and creating more difficult conditions on trans-Pennine routes.

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

Lightopia is preparing to welcome visitors later this week, filling Heaton Park with colourful lanterns and light installations.The festival, which has delayed its opening due to the national lockdown, will officially kick off on Thursday December 3.Many people who held tickets for earlier dates have had their bookings pushed into the new year, with the festival running through now until January 10.It's one of the few festive events that will be able to go ahead, thanks to being outdoors.But the

strictest Tier 3 measures when England leaves the current national coronavirus lockdown on December 2. And with the Christmas period fast approaching, the question of whether people will be able to spend time with loved ones in other parts of the country has been raised.

heading for tier 3 restrictions when lockdown ends next week, pupils are continuing to be sent home from primaries and secondaries across the region. We reported at the weekend how many feel schools are 'descending into chaos' and concerns are growing over Year 11s being expected to sit exams next year despite missing out on large chunks of classroom learning time.

government announcing this morning that Manchester will be placed in Tier 3 when national lockdown ends on December 2, the mayor says the 'halfway house approach' taken to lockdown is partly to blame.Reacting to the news that the region now faces the toughest measures for at least another fortnight, he told the Manchester Evening News: "It was a personal view and maybe not everybody's view, but I think schools should have been included in the national circuit break, because actually it would

Manchester Evening News has seen an early internal planning document circulated within Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

revised tier system, which will come into force on December 2 when the national lockdown ends, government ministers will impose the top level of restrictions on the highest risk areas.Previously, ministers had entered into discussions with local leaders over the what measures would be needed and how they would be funded.In Greater Manchester, mayor Andy Burnham led several days of intense talks as he tried to negotiate a more substantial financial package than the one the government had

reported yesterday how leaders of Focus Trust were under pressure from the government to reverse their plan to shut a week earlier than planned.They had announced last week that all 15 of their schools - seven of which are in Greater Manchester - would close on December 11, instead of the original planned date of December 18.The decision came amid growing concerns over the number of families that could be forced to isolate over the festive period because of positive cases in the run-up to the

hereCeiling decorations are allowed in atriums and other spaces designated as 'not high risk'.

schools in Greater Manchester 'descending into chaos', bubbles of schoolchildren are continuing to be sent home from primaries and secondaries across the region. Staff shortages are having a huge impact - with teachers either being confirmed with the virus themselves, identified as a close contact, or having to stay home because their own children are isolating from schools.

a similar move by Focus Trust, which runs seven primaries in Greater Manchester, Stockport council has given permission for schools to close two days earlier than planned.

the north is being forgotten because schools in the south aren't being affected by the virus in the same way.

impact closures are having on pupils in the north, bubbles of schoolchildren are continuing to be sent home from primaries and secondaries across the region.

warning parents to expect 'major disruption' in the weeks ahead, bubbles of pupils are continuing to be sent home to isolate on a daily basis. Today's confirmed cases include the closure of one primary school to all year groups.

coronavirus patients have died in the second wave of the pandemic in Greater Manchester, the MEN can reveal.

Manchester Evening News, we have pledged to pay tribute to the special people who have died with this terrible disease.This week, more families have been in touch with tributes for loved ones.Here are some of their stories.If you want to pay tribute to a loved one, fill out the form here.Brenda was born in Rusholme and moved to Wythenshawe in 1973.She was wife to Derek, mum to Mark and Dawn and sister to Bernadette.Brenda moved into a care home in February 2019.She died aged 87 at Wythenshawe

1,800 mile Bee Network - Olympian Chris Boardman's ambitious plan for a £1.5bn transformation of our roads to allow cycling and walking to flourish. So far, the region has £200m to spend on the scheme through a combination of government funding and council contributions.

warning parents to expect 'major disruption' in the weeks ahead, bubbles of pupils are continuing to be sent home to isolate on a daily basis. In the first half of the autumn term the number of schools affected by the virus reached more than 580.