A special "Gold command" meeting is expected be held today to discuss whether Greater Manchester should be reclassified and moved into tier-three of the new coronavirus alert system.

At the moment the region is in tier-two ("high") but it could be placed in the "very high" alert which could lead to gyms, bars and pubs being closed.

Lancashire could also be affected as well.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said the Government “has not discussed” whether his area will be moved into Tier 3 status later today.

He tweeted: “Since one meeting on Friday, the Government has not discussed these matters with us.

“Instead, the pressure is being piled on via media briefings.

“Later today I will set out why the current Tier 3 proposal is fundamentally flawed and why we won’t accept it.”

At the beginning of September, after a spike in covid-19 cases in Bolton which led to it having the highest infection rate in the country, stronger restrictions were brought into the town.

Households were not allowed to mix indoors or outdoors and pubs and restaurants were forced to operate takeaway-only services.

But since then other boroughs such as in Merseyside have overtaken Bolton's infection rate.