Covid: Greater Manchester to move to tier 3 restrictions from Friday

Greater Manchester will move to England's highest tier of coronavirus restrictions from Friday at 00:01 BST, the prime minister has announced.

Boris Johnson said "not to act now" would put the lives of Manchester's residents "at risk".

He added a "generous" offer of financial support had been made to the region, but Mayor Andy Burnham refused.

Mr Burnham said he had not been offered enough to "protect the poorest people in our communities".

Under tier three rules - currently only applied to Lancashire and the Liverpool City Region - pubs and bars not serving substantial meals have to close, household mixing is banned both indoors and outdoors, and there is guidance against travelling in or out of the area.

Greater Manchester is currently under tier two rules, meaning pubs and restaurants must close at 22:00, there is no household mixing indoors and the rule of six applies outdoors.

Ahead of the Downing Street press conference, Mr Burnham - speaking alongside other local leaders - said that without a "bare minimum" of £65m in support, tighter measures "would be certain to increase levels of poverty, homelessness and hardship".

On the inability to agree a support package, Mr Johnson said: "I do regret this. As I said last week, we would have a better chance of defeating the virus if we work together."

He added Greater Manchester would receive £22m in funding as part of a "comprehensive package of support" but that the "door was open to continue the conversation" about further aid, so long as it was in line with that offered to other areas in same position.

It is understood the government's earlier offer of £60m in support remains on the table.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson confirmed that conversations were ongoing with leaders in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and the North East about the possibility of moving to the very high alert level.

Responding to the breakdown in talks with Greater Manchester, Labour leader Sir Keir said: "The Conservatives have been treating local communities, particularly in the Midlands, North West and North East, and their leaders with contempt.

"Labour recognise the need for stricter public health restrictions. However, that must be accompanied by extra financial support."

William Wragg, Conservative MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester, tweeted that the "sense of failure" was "overwhelming".

It comes as the latest government figures showed that, on Tuesday, the UK recorded a further 21,330 coronavirus cases and a further 241 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

Speaking alongside Mr Johnson at Downing Street, England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, stated he did not believe it would be right to have an England-wide "circuit-break" lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.

While short, sharp lockdowns are being imposed in Wales and Northern Ireland, Prof Van-Tam said it would be "inappropriate" for parts of the England where the disease is lower and "very hard to justify for some communities".

Elsewhere in the UK, in Wales people will be told to stay at home from Friday, while pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops will shut, as part of a "short, sharp" national lockdown until 9 November.

A two-week school closure has begun in Northern Ireland as part of a tightening of restrictions.

And in Scotland, the tightest restrictions are in place in the central belt, and there are plans for a three-tier framework of measures, similar to England's.