direct to your inboxThe number of coronavirus patients in Greater Manchester hospitals is rising as it emerged 25pc of cases have been identified as belonging to the new strain.The Mayor Andy Burnham said while the current picture of the region's health system is 'challenging but manageable', he is concerned that the fast-spreading variant of Covid-19 could 'overwhelm' it.He therefore welcomed the government's decision to put Greater Manchester in Tier 4, the highest level of restrictions.It means everyone in the region has been told to 'stay at home' and only leave if absolutely necessary.At his weekly press conference today, Mr Burnham said he hoped tighter restrictions would allow Greater Manchester to 'get ahead' of the new strain.The.