Nine more deaths in hospitals as infection rate falls again

NINE more people have died in Greater Manchester’s hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.

It means the region’s hospital death toll is now 3,921, the latest NHS figures show.

Nationally, 159 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 44,285. Patients were aged between 47 and 97 years old.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus infection rate for Greater Manchester has fallen again, raising hopes the region could be lifted out of Tier 3 restrictions.

The latest figures show there were 153.4 positive tests in Greater Manchester for the week ending December 9 for every 100,000 people in the local population, down 7.7 per cent compared to the week before.

It puts our region significantly lower than the infection rate for England, which has risen by 15 per cent to 172.8 over the same period.

The gap was widening, the figures suggest.

The infection rate for London, which remains in Tier 2, rose 40 per cent during the same week to 241.5.

Although current infection rates in Greater Manchester vary dramatically borough by borough, none of them has a higher rate than the London average.

The drop in the number of cases being recorded in Greater Manchester over the last few weeks will raise hopes that some, if not all of, the region will be downgraded to more relaxed Tier 2 restrictions when officials carry out a review on Wednesday.