93% of region's businesses concerned about Covid-19 impact

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has said that there has been a significant increase in the number of businesses expressing concern about the effect of Covid-19 on their trading.

Over the last week, the number of businesses in Greater Manchester reporting that there had been an impact on them has risen from 76% to 93%. 

Mr Burnham said: "From an encouraging point of view, the 10 local authorities have been working flat out, particularly over the weekend, to get business support grants out to qualifying businesses.

"The lastest figure that we've paid out as a Greater Manchester system is £130 million to businesses, which equates to about a quarter of all grants that will be given out under this scheme.

"There is a concern that some businesses are not still applying.

"We would encourage them to do that.

"We want eligible businesses to apply, but alongside that there's a concern about fraudulent applications and we are going to be working with Greater Manchester Police to bear down upon such applications to that scheme."

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