Greater Manchester will be placed in Tier 2 and avoid the toughest restrictions

Jim McMahon, an MP from Oldham, has confirmed that Greater Manchester will be placed in Tier 2 of the new three-tier system. 

Taking to Twitter, Jim wrote: “Call with the Secretary of State confirms GM will be placed in Tier 2 with household restrictions on meeting indoors in any setting, but not outdoors.

“Pubs serving food remain open.

“Oldham will be removed from its enhanced lockdown measures and brought into line with GM *at last*”

The news comes from a very public opposition from politicians and local leaders in Greater Manchester.

MP for Manchester Central, Lucy Powell said loclal test and trace data suggested that just 9% of Covid infections in Manchester came from hospitality settings.

Adding: “The vast majority of infections here happen in households, which includes student halls of residence,”

Powell said last week: “Government and scientists still haven’t produced this evidence. The big problem for them is local leaders have all the same data (in fact better data for their areas) and they know hospitality settings make up a very small proportion of infection transmission.”

The new three-tiered system is set to be confirmed and outlined by Boris Johnson later today.

It is understood that Tier 2 will mean no indoor mixing of households, however, two households can mix in a private garden so long as the rule of six is following and social distancing can be maintained. 

The news largely means the current rules in place in Greater Manchester remain the same. Pubs and bars can remain open with the national curfew of 10pm remaining in place.

Boris Johnson is expected to announce a £28m funding package for those areas put into tier 3. It will include £14m for clinically vulnerable people and a further £14m to bolster local test and trace systems.

The trigger for tier 3 is yet to be confirmed.

The MEN reports that Andy Burnham is ‘pleased’ about the news but still pushing for financial backing.

He said: “We are pleased the govt has listened to what I and the ten leaders have said consistently throughout this. We’re ready to take on more responsibility, particularly to improve test and trace.

“But none of this will work without a full financial package, both for our councils and also for our businesses, who will be affected by these restrictions. What we will not accept is the govt devolving responsibility and particularly blame without proper resource to do the job.”

Wigan MP, Lisa Nandy has tweeted: “Just learnt Greater Manchester will be placed into tier 2 restrictions via twitter.

“Apparently there was a government briefing for GM MPs but I can’t provide details because I wasn’t invited. I suspect this is because they don’t know where Wigan is. What an absolute shambles”.