Tier 3 will devastate this man's business. But 13 London boroughs have a higher infection rate - are Greater Manchester-wide rules fair?

direct to your inboxChristmas bubbles have been cancelled in London and the South East - but Greater Manchester residents will still be able to meet other households on Christmas Day only.Those living in the capital and the South East of England will be plunged into newly created Tier 4 restrictions from Sunday (December 20).They will not be allowed to form bubbles over the Christmas period as originally promised by the Prime Minister or mix indoors outside of their own households.Tier 4

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 inboxThe coronavirus infection rate has fallen in Greater Manchester - but it is soaring in London.The latest figures from Public Health England reveal there were 154.9 positive tests for every 100,000 people in Greater Manchester for the week ending December 11, a fall of four per cent compared to the previous week.During the same period, the infection rate in London soared by 61 per cent to 296.8 - double that in Greater Manchester.Government scientists are trying to establish

was scrapped after the government intervened. And now the government - which last week said schools could close one day earlier than planned - has threatened legal action against Greenwich Council in London to stop its move to have pupils learning remotely this week.

direct to your inboxCoronavirus infection rates in two more boroughs of Greater Manchester have now fallen below the England average - but numbers are starting to creep up in some areas.The latest figures from Public Health England show there were 176.2 positive tests in Wigan for every 100,000 people in the local population during the week to December 10, a fall of six per cent compared to the previous week.The borough now has a lower infection rate than the one recorded for England, which has

direct to your inboxThe coronavirus infection rate for Greater Manchester has fallen again, raising hopes the region could be lifted out of Tier 3 restrictions.The latest figures show there were 153.4 positive tests in Greater Manchester for the week ending December 9 for every 100,000 people in the local population, down 7.7 per cent compared to the week before.It puts our region significantly lower than the infection rate for England, which has risen by 15 per cent to 172.8 over the same

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 inboxCoronavirus infection rates in Greater Manchester are flattening out, as cases in London continue to rise.Rates had been falling in all 10 boroughs for a number of weeks, but that trend appears to be plateauing - with one borough seeing a rise in cases.Meanwhile in London, the infection rate has been rising upwards for a number of days, now surpassing Greater Manchester and the national average by some way.The latest rates were calculated on December 5 - three days after the

hereAnd earlier this week it emerged that the rate in Greater Manchester was lower than the rate in London on the day the capital was placed under Tier 2 rules while we were put under tougher Tier 3 restrictions.The gap between our region and the capital has continued to widen, according to the latest data released by Public Health England this afternoon.London now has a infection rate per 100,000 people of 182.6, compared with the rate of 159.2 in Greater Manchester.It was hoped that the

direct to your inboxThe gap between the coronavirus infection rate in Greater Manchester and London is beginning to widen.On Sunday, the M.E.N reported that the rate of infection in the capital on the day the country was moved into separate tiers was in fact higher than our area.Whilst cases were falling across our conurbation when the country come out of lockdown, positive tests were rising in London.In the week ending December 3, the infection rate in London climbed from 169.32 to 173.7 per

direct to your inboxThe coronavirus infection rate was higher in London than in Greater Manchester on the day our area moved into Tier 3.In the week ending December 2, cases of Covid-19 in the capital were in fact rising, unlike here.The rate of infection in London was 169.32 per 100,000 people on the day the city went into Tier 2.This means that hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants were allowed to re-open, as long as a substantial meal is served alongside alcohol.On the same day in

direct to your inboxCoronavirus infection rates have fallen in the region for the 26th day in a row.Cases are falling faster in Greater Manchester than they are in England as a whole, as well as in London - where rates are only two per cent down on the previous week.Our overall rate is now 173.2 -  down 69 per cent from its peak on November 2, when it was 569.1.  Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletterYou can sign up very simply by

The latest infection rates for the week ending November 26 for Greater Manchester are:Rochdale - 283.3, down 31 per centOldham - 272.4, down 35 per centBolton - 248.0, down 27 per centBury - 236.1, down 32 per centWigan - 231.9, down 30 per centManchester - 200.1, down 30 per centTameside - 169.1, down 40 per centSalford - 167.3, down 46 per centStockport - 157.1, down 33 per centTrafford - 122.6, down 42 per centAlthough infection rates have been falling across the region for a number of days,

The Environment Secretary has defended the Government’s decision to place Manchester in Tier 3 of the new coronavirus restrictions.The region will be placed in the highest tier when the national lockdown comes to an end in England later this week.Many have criticised the decision as several boroughs in London - going into Tier 2 this week - have higher infection rates than Trafford and Stockport.But Environment Secretary George Eustice has explained that there are several reasons for placing the

including Greater Manchester where cases are falling rapidly.Michael Gove was reportedly among those arguing London should be under the strictest measures due to the high infection rate in several boroughs.The M.E.N has attempted to contact Downing Street for confirmation that the cabinet received a briefing note on potential job losses in London and whether similar impact assessments were made of other regions.So far, we have had no response.The Mayor Andy Burnham tweeted the Mail's story and

on the M6 near Holmes Chapel in Cheshire.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola singled out John Stones for praise after Manchester City's victory over Olympiacos in the Champions League. While the Blues never managed to kill the game off, it was another assured performance at the back that produced another clean sheet in the competition to lay the platform for a fourth consecutive win in Europe that confirms qualification to the knockout stage.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola will not rush Sergio Aguero back into action to solve Manchester City's crisis of confidence in front of goal.The Blues have found the back of the net just 10 times in eight Premier League games this season and have scored five goals in their last six league fixtures, having slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham on Saturday.Aguero was back on the bench in North London but the Argentine wasn't used and Guardiola intends to take no chances with a player who has