What do the new coronavirus Christmas rule changes mean for people in Greater Manchester?

direct to your inboxCoronavirus cases are continuing to rise across Greater Manchester as the government starts the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history.Our region currently has a Covid-19 infection rate of 374.8 per 100,000 people in the week ending January 3.That’s a 73.4 per cent increase on the previous week.However the regional rate here is still far below that of London - where it was 971 on January 1.Across all ten Greater Manchester boroughs the upward trend in infection rates is

direct to your inboxA Greater Manchester Police officer who repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl has been jailed.Farooq Ahmed, 37, walked into a police station with a confession note before Christmas.

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 inboxGreater Manchester's coronavirus infection rate is continuing to climb as the region begins 2021 in Tier 4. As we entered our second day under the country's tightest coronavirus restrictions, concern is growing nationally about the highly transmissible new strain of the virus.

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 inboxCoronavirus cases are continuing to rise in nine out of 10 of Greater Manchester's boroughs, the latest figures show. The latest Public Health England data, released ahead of the region's move into Tier 4 tomorrow (Thursday), shows the average rate for Greater Manchester currently stands at 200.3 per 100,000 people.

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 inboxLike this entire year, Christmas Day in 2020 is anything but normal.It's a restricted, and for some quite sad time.But Greater Mancunians did have something to smile about today...

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 inboxDreaming of a white Christmas?Sadly, forecasters have predicted there will be no snow on Christmas Day this year.But the Met Office has said Greater Manchester is likely to see widespread frosty conditions that will bring a 'seasonal feel' to festivities on the day.Temperatures across most of the country will stay in mid-single figures on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but no snow is expected to settle, Met Office forecasters have predicted.They said that despite a wet

Bolton Council has said that people in the borough need to 'pull together' over Christmas in order to avoid any further lockdowns. Yesterday, Boris Johnson announced that plans to ease restrictions for five days over the festive period would have to be cancelled due to rising case numbers.

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 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

Manchester Evening News can reveal.

direct to your inboxCouncils across Greater Manchester have outlined their plans for bin collections over Christmas and the New Year.With Christmas Day and New Year’s Day falling on bank holidays this year, many town halls are having to change their schedules.Bins are being collected in the days leading up to - and after both days - though the exact dates differ from borough to borough.All councils are still urging residents to keep recycling food, cardboard and paper and other recyclable items

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.