The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has been explaining why he feels the region should be moved into Tier 2 when the Government reviews the English Tiers today.
Speaking to Radio Four’s Today programme the Mayor said that the region’s businesses were suffering from having been under some form of lockdown since the summer.
The population he added was weary whilst the region has made rapid progress since being placed in Tier 3 in October with infection rates now below the England average and below those in Liverpool when it was placed into Tier 2, two weeks ago
“Greater Manchester has an average of 150 cases per 100,000, “significantly below the England average of 180 per 100,000” said the Mayor.However he added he would understand if the Government wanted to “err on the side of caution”.
“Businesses have been seeing their savings, their financial position, weakened month after months and many are now in a very parlous position.The mood is very low I would say.We have a very changed picture today than when the first tiering decisions were made a few weeks ago, so we’re hoping the government will make evidence-based decisions today.”
The Mayor also said he was not at all convinced Tiers 2 & 3 work in the way it is claimed.
Allowing 24/7 retail at this time of year is a significant driver of spread and he warned that closing regulated hospitality in cities risks more gatherings in the home, particularly around New Years Eve.
