Warning new Covid strain could 'overwhelm' our hospitals as admissions rise

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has promised a 'new era' at Greater Manchester Police after the force was placed in 'special measures'.The mayor held his first policing press conference yesterday since former Chief Constable Ian Hopkins was asked to step down in the wake of a scathing inspection report.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham wants to add £15 to the average council tax bill to help restore our failing police force.In his first policing press conference since Ian Hopkins was forced out of his job as the chief constable of GMP, the mayor outlined his vision for a 'new era' of policing.GMP was effectively placed in 'special measures' just before Christmas when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) inspectors estimated the force had failed to properly

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has urged the government to extend its ban on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic to avoid a further surge in homelessness.Court-ordered evictions are due to start again on January 11 after being temporarily suspended after the initial Covid-19 outbreak.Boris Johnson says the ban will be kept under review after being challenged by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during a debate this week.But Mr Burnham is seeking a cast-iron

direct to your inboxThere are fears that the pressure being seen at London hospitals is already spreading across the country. It comes after it was reported last night that a hospital in the capital is in 'disaster medicine mode' and unable to provide 'high standard critical care' because it is understaffed and swamped by Covid-19  patients.

direct to your inboxUp to 25pc of all new coronavirus cases across Greater Manchester can be attributed to the new strain seen spreading rapidly through southern England.Experts predict there could be even higher number of new cases down to the new variant currently due to a data lag.Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced the figures at a press conference this morning.He said that partly as a result of this new strain, he and Greater Manchester’s leaders are in agreement with the

Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that 42.8% of positive tests processed for Scotland are now thought to be the fast-spreading form of coronavirus, first detected earlier this month.

fast-spreading form of coronavirus, first detected earlier this month.In a statement at Holyrood, she said: "This new strain appears to be fast becoming the dominant one circulating in Scotland - and that is obviously a cause for real concern, given that it is thought to be significantly more transmissible."As I indicated before Christmas, the severity of this challenge means we can't rule out the need for restrictions that are even tighter than those in the current level 4."Sturgeon spoke after

direct to your inboxThe number of new Covid-19 hospital admissions in Greater Manchester is rising for the first time since mid-November, as the mayor warns the arrival of a potent new strain to the region is now ‘inevitable’.However Andy Burnham says he does not yet think the time is right for the conurbation to be placed into Tier 4 restrictions.He told this afternoon’s weekly press conference that infection rates here - which are up 1pc in the past week - are still ‘flatlining’ and argued the

direct to your inboxThe deputy mayor has expressed fears there could be a rise in illegal raves and house parties in Greater Manchester over the Christmas period.Beverley Hughes told a press conference led by Andy Burnham on Tuesday that there is intelligence to suggest the region 'could see a return' of the raves and parties seen over the summer.

new strain, which is causing concern due to its infectiousness, is much more widespread currently in London and the south east of England.However, it is also present in Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon has announced sweeping preventative measures to stop it spreading further.Dr Smith told the daily media briefing he had been in contact with Public Health Scotland, adding: “They were able to tell me that the current figure for Scotland is 18 cases who meet this case definition.

tougher restrictions as of Boxing Day which will see non-essential shops and hospitality businesses forced to close.Nicola Sturgeon said on Saturday the move was essential to contain the spread of a new strain of coronavirus and to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed in January.She said the decision will be reviewed after two weeks on January 9 added level four would be in place until at least January 16.It will mean retailers forced to pull down the shutters at a time of year they would