Greater Manchester forced to go into Tier Three lockdown

Manchester has been forced to move to Tier Three lockdown from Friday 23rd October with restrictions coming into action straight after 12pm.

This move comes as a result of days of negotiation in order to try to secure the appropriate support to help workers, businesses and residents who would be affected by the Tier Three restrictions. The deal was unresolved between mayor, Andy Burnham and the government and subsequently Manchester have received a lower support package than requested.

Greater Manchester will subsequently see a harsher set of rules put in place, with all 10 boroughs having to follow stricter measures.

Residents won’t be allowed to mix with anyone they don’t live with either indoors or in a private garden and pubs and bars are to be closed unless they can serve meals. Casino, bingo halls and betting shops will be closed.

Residents are advised to not travel in or out of the area and individuals found in breach of the new restrictions could be fined.

However, support bubbles will remain the same, where individuals from a single-member household can join with another and are allowed to stay overnight and visit places together.

It is uncertain as to how the city will cope without adequate financial support, Mr Burham told the Guardian, that Greater Manchester could face “a winter of real hardship”.

Speaking alongside other local leaders, Mr Burnham told the BBC, that without an additional £65m in support, tighter measures “would be certain to increase levels of poverty, homelessness and hardship”.

Labour leader Keir Starmer tweeted that the collapse of talks is a sign of “government failure” and that the UK should “come together to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.”

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