The new coronavirus hotspot in Greater Manchester - and why infection rates have skyrocketed

direct to your inboxSeven Trafford wards have among the highest rolling coronavirus infection rates in Greater Manchester.Altrincham West, Dunham and Warburton has a rate of 409.7 new cases per 100,000 people.Hale Barns is at 406.9, for the week ending December 29.That ward has seen particularly high rates of infection throughout the pandemic, having been a hotspot for the borough repeatedly over the last 10 months.Other problem areas include Firswood, which has seen its individual infection

bring in new national Covid restrictions within 24 hours as cases continue to rise. He has also called for the government to come up with a plan on children’s learning and for working parents.

direct to your inboxThe coronavirus infection rate is now rising in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. The government is now under increasing pressure to delay the reopening of all schools on Monday as a result of the concerning data trend.

direct to your inboxThe streets were empty as Greater Manchester said goodbye to 2020 and ushered in a new year - but many were determined to keep alive at least one tradition.Our video from Werneth Low shows how many parts of Greater Manchester were ablaze with colour as people set off fireworks at midnight to celebrate the arrival of 2021.Around 200 socially distanced people gathered on the popular spot to watch the moment our region said goodbye to 2020 and ushered in the New Year.Car horns

direct to your inboxIt has been a year like no other.However Great Mancunians have still made headlines across the world, for all sorts of reasons.Here we look at those who have put the region on the map in 2020, a year we will never forget.2020 has undoubtedly belonged to Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford.However it is his incredible work off the pitch which has made the headlines, even more than his impressive goal-scoring feats on it.The Withington-born and Wythenshawe raised

direct to your inbox"It's absolutely gut-wrenching."Hair salon owner Jane Nixon describes how she felt as Matt Hancock announced that Greater Manchester would be moving into Tier 4.And it's a feeling thousands of business owners across the region will be familiar with.A change in restrictions, businesses finally being allowed to open then being forced to shut again just a few weeks later.

direct to your inboxDoctors and paramedics say they are bracing themselves for a new tide of Covid patients to hit Greater Manchester's hospitals within weeks. Speaking as plans for the region's move to Tier 4 were announced and the return to school for secondary pupils was delayed, Dr Carole Gavin, a consultant in Greater Manchester, said concerns were growing as hospitals in the south battle to find beds as infection rates - largely found to be caused by the new mutant strain - rise.

direct to your inboxA Greater Manchester Police chief has urged people to stay at home in Tier 4 tomorrow night instead of celebrating New Year's Eve as they normally would. Under Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, people are required by law to remain at home unless they need to leave their home for essential reasons.

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direct to your inboxCoronavirus infection rates are continuing to rise in Greater Manchester with six out of the region's 10 boroughs seeing increases.The latest Public Health England data for the week ending December 25 shows the average rate for the region now stands at 190.9 per 100,000 people.This is well below the national average transmission rate of 367.4.However, as the most recent set of data available is for the week up to Christmas Day, there was a drop in positive tests.

direct to your inboxAnother 26 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Greater Manchester's hospitals.It brings the region's hospital death toll to 4,157.The latest NHS England figures show nine more deaths were recorded at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in the last 24 hours.Six people died at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, while Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust each reported a further four deaths.A further three people died

direct to your inboxTwo men from Greater Manchester who won £20,000 on the hit BBC show Race Across the World have donated their prize money to charity.Emon Choudhury, 36, from Stockport, beat four other teams to win the race alongside his nephew Jamiul Choudhury, 25, from Oldham.The pair beat the odds to complete an epic 54-day journey from Mexico City to the south of Argentina for the second series of the BBC2 show.On their travels, the men were visibly moved by the number of homeless children

direct to your inboxA further 22 people have died in hospitals across Greater Manchester after contracting coronavirus, NHS figures revealed today.They include nine more deaths at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and seven at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.Nationally, the NHS reported on Tuesday a further 405 deaths in hospitals of patients who tested positive for the virus.The figure brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 46,983.In the

direct to your inboxTwo more people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.The region's hospital death toll now stands at 4,031, according to the latest NHS figures.Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust each recorded one more death in the last 24 hours.The total number of coronavirus deaths at hospital trusts in Greater Manchester, as of Monday, December 21, are : Nationally 190 coronavirus-related deaths

Don't miss a thing that's happening in and around Bury by signing up to the free MyBury newsletterThe coronavirus infection rate has gone up in Greater Manchester for the first time in weeks.It currently sits at 161.4 per 100,000 people during the week ending December 15 - that's a 6.3 per cent increase on the previous week.It is the first week-on-week increase in Greater Manchester of more than 1 percent since October 31.The infection rate has remained fairly level across the region for the

direct to your inboxFifteen more lives have been claimed by coronavirus in Greater Manchester's hospitals.The region's coronavirus hospital death toll has risen to 4,019, the latest NHS figures show.Eight more deaths have been recorded by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust in the last 24 hours.The trust runs the city's main hospitals including the Manchester Royal Infirmary and Wythenshawe Hospital.Three more Covid deaths were recorded the Royal Bolton, two at Pennine Acute and two at

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 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 inboxNine more people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.The region's hospital death toll has now reached 3,930, the latest NHS figures show.Four new Covid-related deaths have been recorded by Salford Royal in the last 24 hours.Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust recorded two new deaths, Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust one and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust one.Another Covid-related death was recorded by

direct to your inboxNine more people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.It means the region's hospital death toll is now 3,921, the latest NHS figures show.In the last 24 hours three more deaths have been recorded at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust.Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust each reported another two deaths.And Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and