This was the scene at one playground in Greater Manchester yesterday: Should they have been allowed to stay open during the second lockdown?

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

Heywood, through Bury to Rawstenstall, over the Easter weekend. The locomotive was due to make a number of visits to the East Lancs this year, but the events were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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 inboxWe're just over a week into December and the region's courts have already been busy. People have been locked up for all manner of  criminal offences  with M.E.N.

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 inbox The mayor’s office has repeatedly refused to say whether it has confidence in the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police after a damning report found the force was failing to record one in four violent crimes. It also cast doubt over the Chief’s long-term future at the helm of the force and criticised the fact he has not fronted up any interviews today.

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 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 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.

Coronavirus infection rates are falling faster in Greater Manchester than at any time during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest data from Public Health England.The rate for the Greater Manchester region is now 246.9, the lowest it has been since the end of September.There were exactly 7000 confirmed cases in Greater Manchester for the week ending November 23, which is 3,796 fewer cases than in the previous week.That represents a week-on-week fall of 35.2 per cent, the highest

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.

Greater Manchester will have to follow the toughest set of coronavirus restrictions in England once the national lockdown ends on December 2.The region has been placed in Tier 3, which means household mixing is banned, apart from in public outdoor areas such as parks and beaches.For any gatherings that do take place outdoors, the rule of six will be in force, which means you could get fined if you're in a group of seven or more.However, there are some legal exemptions to the rules around

Tier 3 measures this time around are much tougher than before, particularly for the hospitality industry.

The latest infection rates for Greater Manchester are:Oldham 366.9, down 31pcRochdale 342.2, down 32pcWigan 301.2, down 27pcBury 300.5, down 33pcBolton 294.6, down 32pcSalford 246.5, down 42pcManchester 245.3, down 32pcTameside 241.1, down 36pcStockport 204.5, down 36pcTrafford 169.4, down 45pcThe national average in England is 202.4 per 100,000 population.Trafford is the only Greater Manchester borough to sit below the national average with 169.4 per 100,000.There were 661 positive tests across

Manchester council has thrown its weight behind the beleaguered regional masterplan for jobs and housing - despite uncertainty over its future.With no end in sight to the political standoff in Stockport, plans to approve the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) have been postponed in Salford, Trafford, Oldham, Rochdale and Bury.Councillors in Manchester were told this week that there was a ‘very high risk’ that the GMSF would not get the support it needed.Under the proposals the city

The latest infection rates for Greater Manchester are:Oldham 388.4, down 30pcRochdale 360.6, down 31pcBury 314.1, down 33pcBolton 306.4, down 31pcWigan 304.6, down 30pcSalford 260.0, down 42pcManchester 249.6, down 34pcTameside 249.4, down 37pcStockport  208.6, down 37pcTrafford 170.6, down 50pc Stockport's transmission rate has dropped below the national average too, with a rate of 208.6 - down 37pc in the week ending November 21.Overall, rates are falling faster in every Greater Manchester

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

Public Health England (PHE) data shows that the spread of infection across all 10 boroughs continues to fall.

Public Health England (PHE) on Sunday.