Andy Burnham has joined calls to shut schools in England as part of the second national lockdown – claiming that a temporary closure could bring casesdown enough for Greater Manchester to enjoy “some kind of Christmas.”
The Mayor of Greater Manchester suggested that sending children home during the final two weeks of November may help prevent lockdown being dragged on into the festive holidays.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons announced that England would re-enter lockdown for a four-week period beginning on November 5.
A key difference between this ‘stay at home’ order and the one enforced in March is that education facilities remain open this time around.
Schools, colleges and universities have all been encouraged to operate as normal, whilst many other premises close.
But Mayor Burnham said he wanted to see schools shut for a “period” in order to “create the conditions” for Christmas.
Pixabay
“I remain of the view a circuit break needs to be a true circuit break if it’s to have the effect it needs to have to re-set things,” Burnham said at a press conference on Sunday,
“It’s my view we do need to have a period of closure in our schools if we are to get those cases right down and avoid a scenario where large parts of the North West are simply put back into Tier 3.”
The Mayor added: “I would suggest a period of two weeks’ closure towards the second half of November so that schools have time to prepare online learning, but that would create the conditions for the biggest drop in cases that we could achieve and it would then create the conditions for some kind of Christmas for more families because they need it right now.”
The National Education Union (NEU), the biggest teaching union in the UK, has also called for the nationwide closure of schools (with exceptions for the “vulnerable” pupils with key workers parents).
We are calling for the bill presented to Parliament this week to be amended to include the closure of schools and colleges in the lockdown.
NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “We are worried this will just lead to another lockdown later. We think it will not work if schools are not included.”
The new lockdown rules for England, which come into effect on Thursday and will be in place until at least December 2, state that:
There will be no mixing of households anywhere in the country, except for in cases where childcare and other forms of support are necessary.
Pubs, bars and restaurants must close
Non-essential shops must also close
All outbound international travel is banned, except for work
Gyms must close
Travel within the UK is discouraged
Schools, however, are set to remain open until the Christmas holidays.
News
Urgent appeal after woman, 70, dies after being found unconscious with ‘serious injuries’ on a Tameside road
Emily Sergeant
An urgent appeal has been issued after a woman was found unconscious with ‘serious injuries’ on a road on the Tameside / Oldham border.
Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Serious Collision Investigation Unit is appealing for information after the woman, aged 70, was taken to hospital upon being discovered on Waggon Road in Park Bridge, which is an area on the border of Tameside and Oldham, at around 2:30pm this past Sunday afternoon (10 August).
Police say their investigation is centred on trying to find out how the woman came to be on the road, and ultimately, uncover more about the incident as a whole.
This is why officers are now appealing to the Greater Manchester public.
#APPEAL | Our Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is appealing for information after a woman died after being found unconscious on a road on the Oldham/Tameside border yesterday (10/08/25). pic.twitter.com/lzjANgh8Tg
Anyone who saw the incident, or who may have dashcam footage, is urged to call GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741, quoting incident number 1858 of 10/08/25.
You can also call 101, or talk to GMP via the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.
Any reports or concerns about the incident can also be made anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Google Maps
News
Manchester Youth Zone reopens following impressive £1.6m transformation
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Youth Zone has officially relaunched following a significant £1.6 million investment and months of transformation.
Designed hand-in-hand with the young people of Harpurhey, where the centre – which is proudly a member of the OnSide Youth Zones – is based, the revitalised space represents a bold new chapter for Manchester Youth Zone (MYZ) and the new state-of-the-art facilites offer an exciting range of opportunities and experiences for young people to enjoy.
MYZ is open all year round to provide a ‘safe space’ for young people across North Manchester aged eight to 19, or up to 25 with additional needs.
Football, basketball, podcasting, music, cooking, boxing, dance, and dedicated wellbeing spaces are just some of the activities on offer for young people now that the refurbishment is complete.
The refurbishment is a major milestone for MYZ and its renewed mission to help young people discover their ‘purpose, passion, and pathway’ in life.
Manchester Youth Zone has reopened following an impressive £1.6m transformation / Credit: Supplied
This means that the newly-refurbished centre also offers space and facilities for meaningful support – with one-to-one navigators and youth workers working closely with the children and families to help ‘break down barriers’ and ‘unlock potential’.
MYZ is one of 140 youth centres in England to benefit from a Youth Investment Fund grant, announced by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The Youth Investment Fund was granted to MYZ as part of the Government’s National Youth Guarantee to ‘transform and level up’ opportunities for young people in England.
“We’re delighted to unveil our newly transformed Manchester Youth Zone,” commented Heather Etheridge, who CEO of Manchester Youth Zone.
“It’s a significant milestone for MYZ and we’re extremely proud of the new space and what it has to offer the young people of Harpurhey.
“From its state-of-the-art facilities to dedicated wellbeing spaces we are a shining example of how investment, vision, and youth-led design can create lasting impact, and how truly transformational spaces can change lives.
The Manc -
2nd November 2020 
