Manchester Tier 3 start: How long will Manchester be in Tier 3?
MANCHESTER will enter Tier 3 at the end of the week following an explosive to-and-fro with Government officials on local funding, leaving mayor Andy Burnham with little choice but to accept restricted measures. How long will Manchester be in Tier 3?
Manchester lockdown: Burnham slams ‘disgraceful’ funding
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and the Government arrived at an impasse yesterday as they negotiated funds for the city region. Mr Burnham fought tooth-and-nail for his constituents to receive £65 million he believed they needed in support, and found out on air he would receive far less with mandatory Tier 3 conditions. The area will enter Tier 3 at the end of the week, with people in Greater Manchester forced to bear the brunt of punishing conditions.
How long will Manchester be in Tier 3?
Manchester will enter Tier 3 restrictions starting this Friday from 12am.
The region has already spent months on Tier 2 rules, and now faces weeks of uncertainty.
The Government has refused to pin a specific duration to Tier restriction durations.
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Boris Johnson has insisted ministers will keep areas in Tier 2 or 3 measures under "constant review".
Coronavirus case rates act as the deciding factor for the various restriction levels across the country.
As such, officials have said case fluctuations will decide whether they add or repeal measures on each region.
But the Prime Minister added a "sunset clause" would come into place for interventions in "very high areas".
Greater Manchester's next scheduled review is on November 11, according to a Government press release.
Depending on the case rate at the time, restrictions could end up remaining for another three weeks, or the city would slip back into Tier 2.
The latest figures show Manchester's case rate has started to fall, according to data comparing the region's week on week average.
As of October 19, Manchester has seen 17 percent fewer cases, marking a downward trend, and if this continues, residents will come closer to having Tier 3 measures repealed next month.
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In the meantime, they will have to abide by Government rules, which include:
- A ban on household mixing
- Closures for pubs and bars which don't serve food
- Betting shop, casino, bingo hall and soft play area closures
Ministers have allowed gyms to remain open in the area despite closures in other Tier 3 regions.
Ministers have insisted the £60 million offer remains "on the table", but yesterday allegedly offered Mr Burnham just £22 million.
He made a statement outside Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, saying the Government's offer would not deliver its promises for the north.
Mr Burnham said: “This was a government elected to level up. Can it say paying two-thirds of people’s wages is in any way an act of levelling up? Of course not.
"It’s an act of levelling those people down and grinding them into the dirt.”