Today at six a furious political row, as Greater Manchester refuses to accept the highest covid alert level. The citys mayor and other local leaders say no 10s plans are flawed and unfair, sacrificing jobs in the region. This is an important moment. Greater manchester will stand firm. We are fighting back for fairness and for the health of our people. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the country, ministers say any delay will cost lives. So that we can deal with this virus. From saturday, london, york, essex, parts of derbyshire and other areas will be placed on high alert no household mixing indoors. And well be looking at why englands test and trace system is having such trouble reaching covid contacts. Also tonight. The marstons brewery plans to cut more than 2,000 jobs at its pubs. It says the 10pm curfew is partly to blame. The brand new covid mega lab in Milton Keynes a bbc investigation into allegations that there have been safety breaches. Italy is put on the travel quarantine list. Half term holiday makers could be hit, after the country sees its highest one day coronavirus caseload. Out and about after seven months. The queens first Public Engagement outside a Royal Household since the spring lockdown. And coming up on bbc news. We will have the latest, as the efl meets to decide whether to accept a £50 million bailout from the premier league. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. Boris johnsons strategy to tackle the coronavirus pandemic with a series of regional restrictions faces its toughest political test yet. Earlier today, the mayor of Greater Manchester, labours andy burnham, refused to accept the terms on which ministers want to place his city on the very highest alert level. He said his constituents livelihoods were being sacrificed. The Health Secretary for england, matt hancock, hit back any delay would cost lives. Lets just look at whats happening in england. The grey area is on medium alert, which means a 10pm curfew and the rule of six. The areas in orange will be on high alert from midnight tomorrow. That includes london and a raft of areas streching from barrow in furness to elmbridge in surrey. For more than 28 Million People that will mean no more household mixing indoors. At the moment, only the Liverpool City Region is on very high alert. This bans people from more than one household mixing in most settings. Well be looking in more detail about the changes in a moment. But first, our Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg reports on a row that threatens the governments covid strategy. Is it too late to stop the north wests doors closing . The government wants bolton and every pa rt government wants bolton and every part of Greater Manchester in a limited lockdown. Pubs and bars shut, travel restrictions, no household mixing. These students say
at college, everyone is already ignoring the rules. Even though we may have locked down, people are still going out, so what is the point . Today i have been mixing with a load of other people, there is no social mixing, nothing. Georgia thinks a limited lockdown could be worth it. As long as it curbs the stem of coronavirus before christmas and people are able to see friends and people are able to see friends and family, that is my big concern. It is not happening for now, though. Listen to the resistance from the mayor of Greater Manchester after angry conversations with no 10. They are asking us to gamble our bergman jobs, homes and businesses and a large chunk of our economy on a strategy that their own experts tell them might not work. Greater manchester, the Liverpool City Region and lancashire are being set up region and lancashire are being set up as the canaries in the coal mine foran up as the canaries in the coal mine for an experimental regional lockdown strategy. This is an
important moment. Greater manchester will stand firm. No applause from 200 miles away, though. There have been furious because between ministers and mps, including angry tories. The government is not ready to force the north west, still trying to persuade. So, i call upon local leaders to set aside this Party Politics and to work with us to put in place the measures that are needed in Greater Manchester, across the north west, so that we can deal with this virus and support people through it. The reluctance of politicians on the ground to back harsher restrictions has been the concern that that those who live there will lose out. Where firms have to close, the treasury has promised to stump up two thirds of wages, and workers could pop up with benefits. But a well respected former government adviser says that just does not cut it. We are looking ata just does not cut it. We are looking at a period of destitution, do we wa nt to at a period of destitution, do we want to go back to the days where people cant put shoes on their
childrens feet . This is what we are talking about, are we actually asking people in places like a bull to go out and prostitute themselves so to go out and prostitute themselves so that actually they can put food on the table . But more than 20 Million People know tonight that they will face extra limits on their lives from friday, meeting friends indoors will be off. For this person, it is yet more time home alone. I havent seen anybody inside my flat since march. It is lonely. So, thats why i come out, chat to friends, outside, in the fresh air. What else can you do . Martin says his dry cleaning business is already on its knees. We are in tier1 and business is completely dead, look at it. If we go to tier 2, i dont think it will make much difference anyway. And this person worries about more time indoors with the kids. I had her at home for six
months, which was so hard to keep herentertained. Months, which was so hard to keep her entertained. The london mayor had been pushing for tighter rules, unlike his counterparts in the north of england. The virus is spreading rapidly in every corner of our city. Nobody wants to see more restrictions, but this is deemed to be necessary in order to protect londoners. I must warn londoners that weve got a difficult winter ahead. Downing street wants to push and pull different parts of the country in and out of limited lockdown is to match the spread of the disease. But those differences meana the disease. But those differences mean a clash for war of words, at least, between national and local leaders. But in the end, it is no 10 that has the power to impose tighter rules. But remember, the tories want to keep their new found friends in the north. There is no easy way out for either side. And while the
Health Secretary says tonight this is party political, in truth, it is much bigger than that. There are some conservative mps including some quite senior ones who think that the government is making a mistake to push on with this. They are asking them to rethink. And remember, too, that Boris Johnson made them to rethink. And remember, too, that borisjohnson made history with his huge majority by charging into territory in Northern England that had not been held by tories before. And the Political Risk here is that this looks like not a battle between labour and the conservatives on either side, but also a battle between north and south. Ministers wa nt to between north and south. Ministers want to press on because they think this is the best way of trying to protect people is health and slow the spread of the disease, but they have the power to do so, but they could take a big political knock if they choose to use it. Laura kuenssberg, thank you very much. Last night, i talked about a patchwork of restrictions across the country. Lets just remind
ourselves where we stand. At the moment, it looks like this, with large parts of the country in grey, still under the lowest level of covid alert. From midnight tomorrow, People Living in london, essex, elmbridge in surrey, barrow, york, north east derbyshire, chesterfield and erewash, york, barrow in furness and elmbridge will move from medium to high alert. That means no household mixing indoors, and the rule of six applies outside. Nine Million People will be affected by the changes in london alone. Our special correspondent lucy manning has been talking to some of them. Londons ability to meet up, drink and eat out has already been limited. Theatres shut, night clubs closed, pubs finishing early. And now, 9 million none londoners facing more restrictions. We have only got a small garden here. This person owns a pub in hackney, in east london. Her area has some of the capitals highest covid rates. She is now scared what direction her business will go in. We already had to reduce our capacity massively to allow for social distancing. And then the 10pm curfew has cut trade
by about 25 . And now this, not allowing households to mix indoors, it isa allowing households to mix indoors, it is a triple whammy. We have got such restrictions on us now that no financial backing from the government, unless we are forced to close, but that will not happen until the next year. Close, but that will not happen untilthe next year. Untilthe next tier. Nearby, this family can look out over london but they worry, like many in the city without gardens, how they will see relations we re gardens, how they will see relations were now facing the same problems as many have in parts of the north for months. My eldest is autistic and partially sighted and he sees his nanna partially sighted and he sees his na n na every partially sighted and he sees his nanna every weekend, so that is a break in his pattern, so he is going to struggle with that. I dont think they are now is going to be able to be outside because it is too cold for her. Half an hours drive from hackney, over the river thames, for her. Half an hours drive from hackney, overthe riverthames, most of the areas in south london have lower rates of covid cases. Some here dont think all of london should be stopped from mixing inside with other households. But
politicians are adamant the new restrictions must go across the whole of london, because they say londoners dont work and socialise and live in the same places and that covid cases are going up across every borough in the city. In southwark, by shakespeares globe theatre, the area only has nearly half the rate of covid cases, compared to londons worst areas. U nfortu nately, compared to londons worst areas. Unfortunately, the stage is set for morejob losses. Unfortunately, the stage is set for more job losses. The end of october, i think we will have lost 120 staff. And weve got people who have been working with us for ten years who have been made redundant. It is breaking the hearts of everyone, i dont think we are going to see london nightlife until the vaccine arrives. Friends enjoyed their last drink for arrives. Friends enjoyed their last drinkfora arrives. Friends enjoyed their last drink for a while. They wont be able to meet inside from saturday, and autumn outside is not appealing. To be honest we have lived through a lot worse things. We can get through this, people just need to stay at home and follow the restrictions
that are in place of. Harder for pubs and restaurants, tougherfor families, difficult for friends. Like leeds, birmingham and elsewhere, this will now be life in london. Lucy manning, bbc news. The latest official data shows seven out of ten of the local authorities worst affected for Coronavirus Infections are in the north of england. But only the Liverpool City Region is on very high alert. That means no mixing of households indoors or outdoors in private gardens and most other venues. Pubs and bars will close, unless they provide whats called a substa ntial meal. Those restrictions are still not in place in lancashire but some think they should be. Our special correspondent ed thomas has spent the day in burnley, which has seen one of the biggest surges in the uk in recent weeks. The waiting, the uncertainty. What next for burnley . On thursday, i remember, we were very, very busy. Com pletely remember, we were very, very busy. Completely we are going quiet, even ican completely we are going quiet, even i can see from outside, the town is quiet. It is not doing them any favours. At the moment, business wise, we are getting quiet. Weve got a lot of bills to pay, weve got round to pay. Days like this we should have three or four staff working in here. Me and my mate, we have been really quiet, literally weve been sat here doing nothing. Council leaders in lancashire are in talks with the government. The most severe covid alert level is almost certainly coming, but as cases rise, so, too, does the frustration. Coming, but as cases rise, so, too, does the frustrationlj coming, but as cases rise, so, too, does the frustration. I am fed up of hearing about it, it is boring. They have had to isolate, they have protested they are negative, theyve gone back to school, two days later, another child has been positive so she has come back home again for two weeks, this is ridiculous. Down the road, temperatures still serving. They seem to be playing politics with peoples livelihoods. But there is co nsta nt with peoples livelihoods. But there is constant worry for simon. We are
all waiting on tender hooks to see if our industry is going to be shutdown while theyjust fight it out about how much money theyre going to get. It wont make any difference. We need a full lockdown. I had to go on benefits ive never been on benefit, ive been working since i was 13 years old. She lost herjob as an estate agent in the first lockdown. She is 2a and still out of work. So, they basicallyjust said, because of covid, they have to let staff go, and i still have my bills to pay for, so, yes, its a massive hit for me. What are your options . To move away, to move away and find a new future for myself, really. But there is another, upsetting reality. We are the fourth highest in the country at the moment, it is ripping through the terraced housing, they are not doing anything to stop it. This doctor is seeing it every day now. What is the
pressure now like on Frontline Services . It is significant, practices and services are really creaking, the hospital is full, it is where it was in april at the previous peak. How dangerous is this moment . Its dangerous. And im really worried about the people of this area. It is an anxious time for so this area. It is an anxious time for so many. As lancashire wait to hear its new covid rules. Ed thomas, bbc news, burnley. Scotlands first minister, nicola sturgeon, says the country is at a critical point in the pandemic and she is considering travel restrictions that would ban entry to people from areas of the uk with higher rates of covid 19. She also set out new rules on face masks they will become mandatory for workers while moving around in offices or in staff canteens. The big challenge for the government is how to balance protecting lives without crashing the economy. Today the brewery marstons said it was cutting 2,000 jobs because of a fall in business. And theres a warning that around 10,000 pubs and restaurants will be affected in london alone. Our Business Correspondent emma simpson is here. Emma, it seems the restrictions are having a big impact. They are, and marstons isjust the latest pub operator to announce job cuts. It will be losing nearly a fifth of its workforce. These are staff that have been furloughed, the scheme will finish at the end of this month. It is a cliff edge for a number of businesses, and marstons basically said today it couldnt afford to keep the workers on without the same level of government support. Also saying today the job losses were the inevitable consequences of the limitations placed upon our business. George, this adds to the real sense of a deepening crisis within the hospitality sector. As lucy was just highlighting, it is the businesses
in tier three that will be hardest hit. The pubs can remain open but likely to see a drop in trade, but they wont access the same level of Financial Support for the businesses in tier three that are forced to close altogether. There are warnings that many businesses will not be viable, and warnings of big job losses. Thank you very much. The latest government figures show that there were 18,980 new Coronavirus Infections recorded in the latest 24 hour period. That means the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 15,973. And as new cases have climbed, so have daily hospital admissions, with 730 people being admitted on average each day over the past week. This number doesnt include scotland. 138 deaths were reported, thats people who died within 28 days of a positive covid 19 test. That means on average in the past week, 100 deaths were announced every day, which takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 113,293. The test and trace scheme in england has had its worst week since the beginning ofjuly for reaching the contacts of those infected with the coronavirus. The tracing team only reached 58 of contacts of those testing positive in the week ending the 7th of october. 0ur Health Editor hugh pym has been looking at why its proving so difficult. Could this be the future for mass testing of the population . Children arriving at school in southampton to drop off saliva samples which are tested for coronavirus. It is easy to do with quick results, and now pa rt to do with quick results, and now part of a trial to assess the potential. We know we can turn around those results within 2a to 48 hours so it is a great opportunity
not just to hours so it is a great opportunity notjust to keep teachers and children within School Settings but also more broadly. That is the aim, but right now the system for testing using swabs is under strain. Ministers say capacity is being increased to ensure those who should have tests get them, but the continuing reports of inefficiency. A lot of the calls were essentially repeat calls. Martins family are self isolating after two tested positive but they were surprised to get dozens of calls from test and trace staff. We probably need four or five calls to tell us our end date and how we were doing, but that is it so the other calls could have been given to other families. In the first week in october, the number of results back in 2a hours for people going to testing centres in england was 32. 6 , slightly better than the week before but much lower than in
june. 57. 6 of their contacts were read and as to self isolate, down from 62. 5 the previous week were reached. Testing and tracing gets more difficult, and is more effective when infection rates are lower than they are now and local outbreaks can be quickly identified and tackled. The sort of restrictions we are seeing coming in, of course they are to save lives but they are also to reduce the number of cases in circulation so that it comes down to a manageable level so the test and trace a manageable level so the test and tra ce syste m a manageable level so the test and trace system is able to work so effectively that it will be able to find a much higher proportion of the people at risk. In spain the testing system may be working but tracing is said to be very patchy. In berlin long queues have built up outside some testing centres. Test and trace problems are not just some testing centres. Test and trace problems are notjust limited to parts of the uk. Hugh pym, bbc news. The time is 20 minutes past six. Our top story this evening. A furious political row as Greater Manchesters leaders say plans to move the city to the highest covid level are unfair. Prince william joins his grandmother on her first Public Engagement since the national lockdown. Coming up on sportsday on bbc news. The french open champion iga swiatek tells bbc sport why her maiden grand slam title at Roland Garros wont be her last. Whistle blowers have told a joint investigation by the bbc and the online newspaper the independent of safety concerns at a coronavirus testing lab. 0ne scientist who worked at the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Lab claimed staff were being put at risk. The health and safety executive has found breaches in safety following the claims. The company which runs the lab says it has strict Safety Measures in place. 0ur health correspondent
sophie hutchinson reports. The Lighthouse Labs, sometimes called mega labs, mass processing centres for coronavirus swab tests. The government had them set up in order to dramatically increase testing during the pandemic. One of the first to open was this lab in Milton Keynes where hundreds of staff process around 40,000 tests per day. But some of those who have worked here told us of safety concerns which they fear are putting staff at risk. Its just chaotic. Its dangerous. Julian harris, a virologist, worked at the lab this summer. He believes cracks in the system began to show when the calibre of staff changed. When the lab started in march, then they had furloughed academics, virologists, biologists, all these people, so they had the experience, right . But then towards the middle ofjune onwards, they started to go. Then you have got an influx
of these young people with absolutely no experience. He alleges the training for new recruits was completely inadequate. These people, you know, no lab induction for a bio safety level two, and then they are Just Launched into this facility. And it freaked me out. The work is carried out in protective cabinets like this, which remove infected air. But doctor harris claims, in order to get as many tests done as possible, cabinets designed for one person were being used by two. A practice of the scientists have told us is at best poor and at worst dangerous. And he says the cabinets were being overloaded with piles of plastic bags from swab tests. The whole dynamics of the airflow in the cabinet is corrupted, and what you get, you get turbulence. You might as well be working on an open bench. These young people dont realise they are being put at risk. Another scientist who wanted to
remain anonymous told us he resigned from the Milton Keynes lab because of safety concerns. We had disposable visitor coats with gloves taped to the sleeves with brown parcel tape to reach into the cabinets. I know it can be permissible in developing world labs but operating that way was just inviting litigation and ridicule. The uk bio centre which runs the lab said safety is their number one priority. It said. It said training was robust, recruits have laboratory experience, cabinets were operated byjust one person with a second person observing, and that there was a choice of ppe including cotton lab coats. We believe everyone has the right to come home safe and well from theirjob. But right to come home safe and well from theirjob. But the health and safety executive has visited the lab and said it found five material breaches. We understand they relate
to social distancing, cleaning regimes and site safety training. The lab said it had already reinforced its processes placed on the hses recommendations. The government target is to increase Testing Capacity by one third by the end of the month in an attempt to get a handle on the pandemic, ensuring it can scale up safely has never been more important. Sophie hutchinson, bbc news. Travellers returning from italy, san marino and the vatican from saturday will now have to self isolate for two weeks. Italy recorded its highest daily number of covid 19 cases on wednesday. But those arriving from the greek island of crete will no longer have to quarantine, after it was added to the safe list. 0ur transport correspondent tom burridge is here. Tom, i guess is the coronavirus continues to spread across europe we will get these kind of changes. Definitely. Italy was the only
european country popular with uk tourists to have completely avoided quarantine since earlyjuly. The positive news is about crete and greece more generally if you are travelling from scotland but passenger numbers are way down across the board, partly because of the resurgence of the virus home and abroad. Im told the quarantine is an on off switch for bookings. Recently the quarantine has been taken off certain destinations, and some airlines have filled up quickly. The reverse is true, only non quarantine destinations, a shrinking number of them, have any demand at all. It might seem frivolous to some people talking about International Travel but we are talking about big businesses, lots of small travel agencies in survival mode, tens of thousands of jobs, and the only ray of light for that entire sector right now is a promise from ministers that at some point next month testing, privately funded and paid for by the passenger, might reduce the quarantine period to one week and
under certain circumstances get rid of it all together, but the detail on that is still being worked out. Thank you very much. Margaret ferrier, the mp who travelled from london to glasgow after testing positive for coronavirus, will face no further action from the metropolitan police. Officers said they decided not to take the matter any further as regulations on self isolation in england came into force after she was tested. However, they have referred the case to police scotland. The former snp politician has resisted calls to resign, stating her actions were out of character. The inquiry into the attack at Manchester Arena has heard evidence from two Security Officers who believed that they saw the bomber, salman abedi, praying around half an hour before the blast that killed 22 people and injured hundreds more. Julie merchant said she had mentioned the incident to officers as mr abedi had secreted himself away in an area he should not have been. A man has appeared in court in connection with the plane crash
which killed footballer emiliano sala, a pre inquest hearing was told. The plane carrying 28 year old sala and pilot David Ibbotson from nantes to cardiff crashed into the English Channel in january 2019. David henderson, 60, pleaded not guilty at cardiff magistrates court. For the First Time Since the Spring National lockdown, the queen has carried out a Public Engagement outside a royal residence. She was joined by Prince William for the visit to the porton down laboratory near salisbury. 0ur royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell has more. Out and about again on official duty, for the first time for seven months. The queen, accompanied by Prince William, was at porton down. Socially distanced, of course, but without facemasks. Everyone they met had tested negative for coronavirus. They were shown the latest in bomb detection technology. Machines that can detect one billionth of a gram of explosives. And sniffer dogs, which do it the Old Fashioned way with a keen nose and a wagging tail. So to the subject which is dominating all of our lives, the pandemic. No one knows whats going to come next. And the scientists whose lives are spent dealing with deadly viruses. The queen listened and expressed a universal concern. Now it is doubling. Its off again, isnt it . It is unfortunately on the rise. In ordinary times it would have been a routine royal visit. A plaque was unveiled to mark the opening of a new building. A visitors book was signed proof we have been here, said the queen. But these are not ordinary times. Its been one of the most exceptional years of her long rain. Exceptional years of her long reign. And the fact that she was there resuming her public duties, albeit with great caution, was a token of what,
as head of state, she does. To reassure people that even with all the current difficulties, a pattern of life can continue. Nicholas witchell, bbc news. Time for a look at the weather heres nick miller. After a very wet start to the month, the middle of the month bringing something relatively dry. Pleasant when the sun makes its way through the cloud, but even though High Pressure is close by its not dry everywhere. The flow of air from the north east has brought plenty of showers across the eastern side of england and some are pushing further west, so you may catch one into the midlands and may be later parts of wales, western england and overnight into northern ireland. That said it is the western side of the uk where the clear spells are prolonged overnight and this is where we will find the lowest temperatures. In these spots a chance of a touch of frost going into tomorrow. A big change in the weather on the way
tomorrow with quite a bit of
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