The news largely means that Greater Manchester’s current rules remain the same (meaning that pubs and bars can remain open until 10pm – hooray!)
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”.
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* https://t.co/IW6zwoXIQP pic.twitter.com/xcHRcmjxbx
— Jim McMahon MP (@JimfromOldham) October 12, 2020
Jim added…
“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 after a very public opposition from politicians and local leaders in Greater Manchester.
MP for Manchester Central, Lucy Powell said local test and trace data suggested that just 9% of Covid infections in Manchester came from hospitality settings.
“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.”
As we await the confirmation of the new three-tiered system from Boris Johnson later today, it is understood that Tier 2 will mean no indoor mixing of households.
📷 @thegezmek
With the trigger for tier 3 is yet to be confirmed, 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.
Breaking: Greater Manchester stays in Tier 2. Big result. Our pubs/bars will stay open. This could change though, so we will continue to keep our legal challenge ready, in the event that it does. We will not support any closure without scientific evidence.
— Sacha Lord (@Sacha_Lord) October 12, 2020
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.”
