LONDON is expected to into Tier 2 from next week as Manchester could be slapped with Tier 3 restrictions again.
Ministers have met to discuss which regions will be places in each tier amid warnings of economic disaster for the capital.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said this week it was likely the capital would be placed in Tier 2.
Concerned MPs have demanded the capital should be in Tier 1 in a desperate bid to help the economy recover after losing billions since the first lockdown in March.
Hospitality bosses have warned three quarters of pubs, restaurants and cafes could go bust if the city isn’t placed into the lowest tier from December 3.
The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg tweeted: “What happens next in lockdown matters for the economy too… after meetings tonight London’s likely to be in Tier 2 along with most parts of England, only a handful of areas will be in Tier 1 with lightest limits, still significant numbers in Tier 3.”
Andy Burnham insisted the cases had been coming down in the city, and infection-rates were the best they had been for sometime.
The local infection rate in Manchester is still stubbornly high at 265 per 100,000 – but that’s down from 382 in the previous week.
Yet he still thinks the Government are likely to put the Northern City into the toughest set of rules which could lead to thousands more job losses.
He told regional journalists on Wednesdsay: “I think it’s fair to say we are headed at some speed toward the Tier 3/Tier 2 borderline.”
And he added that it’s “more likely than not that the Government will put us in Tier 3″.
But he said he wanted a serious review of the rules in two weeks’ time to try and get the city out of it and into Tier 2.
It follows a furious row over whether Manchester would be put into Tier 3 earlier this year.
Mr Burnham got into a huge fight with the Government over extra cash for businesses which had to close.
Evenually the Government slapped Tier 3 rules on the city anyway.
But just a fortnight later the Chancellor extended extra business support to firms across the country who has to shut their doors by extending the original furlough programme until March next year.
Previously, areas including Liverpool, Greater Manchester, Warrington in Cheshire and parts of North Yorkshire were in the third tier.
Tier 3 means pubs, restaurants and cafes have to shut – along with indoor entertainment.
People can’t mix between households, either.
The 10pm curfew will carry on – but punters will have an hour to finish their drinks and food before being booted out.
Boris Johnson has already admitted that more places will have to go into the top tier after the lockdown ends next week.
The Tiers system will be revealed in full tomorrow – with Matt Hancock making a statement in the House of Commons.
The Government hasn’t spelled out the exact criteria for what will make an area go into which Tier.
Mr Johnson has said the allocation is based on “common sense” with a number of metrics used to decide how strongly to restrict areas.
These include case detection rates in the over 60s, the rate at which cases are falling or rising, pressure on the NHS and case detection rates in all age groups.
The number of positive cases found in a percentage of tests taken in certain areas will also come into consideration.
There are fears that most of the country could be put in Tier 2 or 3 – effectively banning people from seeing family and friends indoors until the spring.
