The new measures imposed on Greater Manchester residents last week have raised a lot of questions.
An increasing rate of local COVID-19 cases has seen restrictions introduced across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester – with a ban placed indoor visits and meeting others outside of your household.
Congregating with other people from one other house is permitted only in parks, in groups of up to six.
The Government confirmed that people are still be able to go to work as normal, whilst visits to pubs, restaurants and cafes are also allowed – but only with members of your own household/bubble.
Increasing numbers of residents have now been querying whether travelling outside of the area is permitted – be it for a holiday or moving home.
Yes – Manchester residents are allowed to go on holiday as planned; provided they do so with members of their own household only.
ADVERTISEMENT
There is no limit on how far you travel.
The official advice from the Government is: “You can still go on holiday, but you should only do this with people you live with (or have formed a support bubble with).”
You cannot leave the region to meet people in private gardens or pubs.
ADVERTISEMENT
People from outside of Greater Manchester are still allowed to enter the area, too – provided they ‘avoid socialising with others’.
I’m supposed to be moving house. Can I still do so?
There is currently no ban on moving home in England.
If you are in the process of moving from one property to another, you can still continue to do so.
Estate and lettings agents have new procedures in place to support people who are changing properties – including the addition of video viewings.
You should not visit any property where current tenants are self-isolating, nor should anyone visit your home if you or another member of your household is experiencing symptoms.
The Government have issued further guidance about moving home during coronavirus online.
News
Chester Zoo named UK’s best zoo for third year in a row with record number of ‘excellent’ ratings
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Chester Zoo has been named to best zoo in the UK for 2026.
While everyone in and around Greater Manchester and the North West may already be familiar with just how brilliant the UK’s biggest charity zoo is, you may remember that, for the past two years running now, it has been officially named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews.
And now, the zoo has managed to retain that respectable title for the third year in a row, as the world’s biggest travel guidance platform has, once again, named Chester Zoo as the best-rated zoo to visit in the UK this year.
It’s even more of a cause for celebration this year, as the zoo has claimed a record 11,666 ‘excellent’ ratings for the first time.
Chester Zoo has been named the best zoo in the UK for 2026 / Credit: Chester Zoo
Based on millions of online reviews, the updated ranking puts the beloved Cheshire-based attraction ahead of the country’s other zoos after earning consistently good feedback from its visitors.
Not only has the zoo’s strong focus on conservation and unforgettable visitor experiences made it the best in our country, but this has also earned it a place among Europe’s elite too – with the new listings placing it in the top 10 best zoos or aquariums in the continent.
“We’re over the moon to be named the UK’s top zoo by TripAdvisor,” commented Jamie Christon, who is the CEO of Chester Zoo.
“This recognition is built entirely on genuine reviews from our visitors, and that means the world to us. I’m very proud of everyone who makes our national conservation zoo such a special place.
“Every visit to Chester Zoo directly supports our vital conservation work, both here at home and around the world, and the past year alone is a reminder of just how much that work matters.
“We’ve developed the world’s first vaccine for a deadly virus that threatens Asian elephants globally, we’ve officially pulled a tiny species of snail back from the brink of extinction, and right here on our doorstep we’ve been planting thousands of new trees to create important new woodland habitat.
“None of that happens without the people who come through our gates – and we’re enormously grateful to every one of them.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
News
Glitzy Manchester restaurant KAJI has quietly shut down
Daisy Jackson
A glamorous Manchester restaurant famed for its Japanese cooking and sushi has quietly closed its doors for good, it seems.
KAJI, on Bridge Street, has pulled table reservations and repossession notices have been stuck into its windows.
The glitzy, futuristic restaurant made a pretty big impact on the city’s dining scene since opening in 2022 – but not always for the right reasons.
It first launched as MUSU, and hit headlines when vandals smashed the windows and threw paint all over the restaurant space in the middle of a busy Valentine’s Day service.
It attracted other famous faces too, including Man City boss Pep Guardiola, and Jason Derulo.
Then in 2024, the restaurant rebranded to KAJI, promising dishes cooked over fire in ‘homage to ancient Japanese cooking techniques’.
And last year it received a review in The Telegraph, where William Sitwell said that KAJI was ‘all tummies, bald heads, tattoos and heat’, describing the experience of eating there as ‘brash (and pricey) torture’.
KAJINotices in the windows of KAJI
But now, it appears the business – which launched a new menu concept just weeks ago – has oh-so-quietly shut its doors for good.
When you try to book a table, no availability is showing.
And walking past its glamorous Bridge Street location now, you can see repossession notices have been displayed in the windows.
It appears that the landlords of the building took possession way back on 10 April – and KAJI has been silent on social media ever since.
The Manc -
3rd August 2020 
