Smiles and thumbs up at coronavirus vaccine centres in Greater Manchester

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham held his latest press conference yesterday giving the very latest situation on the coronavirus situation in our region.The Mayor was joined by the region's health lead, Sir Richard Leese, and deputy mayor Baroness Beverley Hughes. From infection rates to vaccines and a lockdown exit, the press conference covered all facets of where Greater Manchester currently stands in its fight against the virus.

direct to your inboxCoronavirus infection rates are continuing to fall in most areas of Greater Manchester as a result of the third national lockdown.In the week ending February 4, only one borough saw a small rise in the proportion of cases per 100,000 people.There were 799 new cases in Bolton in the most up to date reporting period, a one per cent rise on the previous seven days. Every other borough saw a drop in cases, the latest Public Health England figures show.

direct to your inboxThe leader of Manchester Council has warned vaccination queue jumpers will face action - as it's revealed more than 440,000 people in the region have received the jab so far.Among those to have received their first round of vaccinations, 50,631 are care home residents and staff.People aged over 80 account for 115,555 doses, while 102,686 healthcare workers have been inoculated.Meanwhile, 54,481 social care workers, which includes domiciliary workers and special school staff,

direct to your inboxThe number of new coronavirus cases is falling in every part of Greater Manchester.The downward trend in infection rates suggests that the third national lockdown may be taking effect.As of January 27, all but one borough in Greater Manchester had a transmission rate lower than 300 cases per 100,000 people.Manchester currently has the highest rate with 308.6.While the number of cases is moving in the right direction for our region, some local areas are still virus hotspots.

direct to your inboxMore than 300,000 people have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine so far in Greater Manchester.As of Tuesday (January 26), 309,469 first doses of the vaccine had been administered and 96pc of care homes have now been offered the vaccine.Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has praised the progress of the rollout, saying the region is in a good position to reach the mid-February deadline.There are around 560,000 people in the four highest priority groups

direct to your inboxAround 70pc of Covid-19 cases in Tameside are believed to be caused by the new more contagious strain of the virus.Health chiefs say that the new variant of coronavirus, which was first detected in Kent, is now ‘dominant’ in the borough and across much of Greater Manchester.Speaking at a meeting of the health and wellbeing board, director of public health Jeanelle de Gruchy said they needed to be ‘really vigilant’ against the new strain.“We’re seeing high numbers of outbreaks

direct to your inboxThe number of new cases of Covid-19 is plummeting in every part of Greater Manchester, suggesting the third national lockdown may be taking effect.As of January 20, the infection rate had fallen below 400 in every borough of the conurbation, for the first time since New Year's Day.While the number of cases is moving in the right direction for our region, some local areas are still virus hotspots.

direct to your inboxThe coronavirus infection rate has fallen below 400 in every borough in Greater Manchester for the first time since New Year's Day.Across the region the number of infections continues to fall, the latest Public Health England figures show.Manchester remains the worst-affected borough in the region.But in the week up to January 20, its rate dropped 14% to 397.1 cases per 100,000 people.It means for the first time since January 1, all 10 boroughs in Greater Manchester have an

direct to your inboxA further 17 people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.It means the region's hospital death toll now stands at 4,791.In the last 24 hours 10 more deaths were recorded at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.Fore more people died at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and three more fatalities were reported at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.The total number of coronavirus deaths at hospital trusts

direct to your inboxInfection rates are continuing to fall across every Greater Manchester borough.Each of the region’s ten boroughs are below England's average of 452.5 per 100,000 people in the week ending January 18.Only the city of Manchester has a rate above 400 and Oldham - which once had the highest rates in the country - is now sitting at 282.6 cases per 100,000 people for the same time period.Here in Greater Manchester, the borough of Trafford had the biggest drop in cases in the seven

direct to your inboxThe Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is to open emergency Covid beds for adults in a sign of the unprecedented pressure facing Greater Manchester’s hospitals.Sir Richard Leese, the region’s health chief, said the situation in the system was now ‘critical’ as NHS bosses have scrambled to discharge as many people as possible ahead of a sustained peak over the coming three weeks.Crisis meetings have been held to determine the ability to scale up beds, as Salford Royal and

direct to your inboxYasmin Qureshi comes across as nothing if not stoic.Even now, months after being discharged from Royal Bolton hospital, her voice is still sometimes breathy; the aftermath of her lungs being battered by coronavirus and accompanying pneumonia. Nonetheless, the MP for Bolton South East seems so calm about it that it would be easy to underestimate the severity of her experiences, like those of so many of her constituents.In the midst of her time in hospital, it is the moments of

direct to your inboxThe NHS has sadly confirmed the deaths of 29 more patients in hospitals in Greater Manchester who had tested positive for Covid-19.The region's hospital death toll now stands at 4,757.NHS bosses said on Friday a further 993 people who tested positive for the virus have died in hospitals across England.It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 65,104.In the north west, a further 94 hospital deaths were reported, the NHS said on Friday.A

direct to your inboxThe spread of coronavirus appears to be slowing down in Greater Manchester following a third national lockdown.While the infection rate is levelling in parts of the region, some neighbourhoods are still virus hotspots. An interactive map shows the number of positive Covid test results in each neighbourhood across the country using Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

direct to your inboxThe biggest vaccination rollout ever has started in earnest across Greater Manchester.Health teams have been working around the clock to make sure the Covid-19 jabs can be administered as quickly and smoothly as possible. Across the city-region 87,697 people have already received their first dose, as of January 12.

direct to your inboxA sports centre in south Manchester is being transformed into a coronavirus vaccine centre - one of the first in the region to be led by a local pharmacy.From Monday (January 18) jabs will be administered at Whalley Range Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club on Kingsbrook Road. The service is being provided by local pharmacy group Kapoor Pharmacy Services (KPS), which runs two chemists in Whalley Range and Chorlton as well as one in Rochdale.

direct to your inboxA flood 'alert' has been put in force in Greater Manchester today after hours of heavy rainfall overnight.The alert warns of 'possible' flooding around the area of the middle River Mersey catchment area.It includes areas near Bramhall in Stockport, Sale, Altrincham and Urmston.The Environment Agency warned: "Flooding is possible - be prepared."And Transport for Greater Manchester said: "With heavy rain in Greater Manchester this morning, expect flooding in some areas.

direct to your inboxThe latest coronavirus infection rates have been revealed, as cases continue to rise across Greater Manchester.Rates are still rising in all ten boroughs, but week-on-week percentage rises do not appear to be increasing as rapidly as they have in previous days.The average infection rate for England was the same as it was the previous week.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 inboxNerves are growing within the Greater Manchester system about whether the current stop-start rate of vaccine supply will be sufficient to hit government targets by mid-February.Some areas are understood to have received barely half as many doses this week as they have capacity to deliver, while across the board there is worry about the last-minute nature of their arrival from the national distribution system - meaning local health officials and GPs are struggling to plan and

direct to your inboxPensioners are being told to travel from Greater Manchester to sites as far away as Birmingham to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.Some of the most vulnerable people who are eligible to receive the jab have been referred to vaccination centres in Telford, Macclesfield, Halifax and Newcastle-on-Tyne.As the mass rollout begins in earnest, the NHS is working to immunise the highest priority groups by February half term.