GREATER Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has described Chancellor Rishi Sunak's budget which was revealed today as a packet of polos – refreshing but with some holes in it.

And the metro mayor was "surprised" that Mr Sunak did not announce funding for self-isolation when people need to due to Covid-19 after hearing rumours that it was going to be included in the budget.

The lack of self-isolation funding is the "biggest hole in Britain's defences", he said in an online press conference.

The existing £500 payments made to people who self-isolate are difficult to access, he said, and not substantial enough for some residents.

However, Mr Burnham was pleased that newly-self-employed people will be given help and that the furlough support scheme will be extended until the end of September and that the uplift in Universal Credit payments will continue.

But he said that there are still around 2.5m people in the UK who are still not being supported by the government and there was a "glaring omission" in not rewarding NHS and social care staff with their wages.

The lack of mention of the Northern Powerhouse raised concerns with the mayor as well, who worries that the government has changed its strategy from supporting the north as a whole to helping with more localised bids.

Chairwoman of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, Lou Cordwell, presented employment figures including that 184,000 people in Greater Manchester were being supported by the furlough scheme in January.

Meanwhile, Mr Burnham presented date which showed that coronavirus infection rates across the region have fallen but still remain high.

Figures: Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Figures: Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Figures: Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Figures: Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Figures: Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Figures: Greater Manchester Combined Authority

In the week up to Friday, February 26, the seven-date rate of positive cases per 100,000 people in Greater Manchester fell to 145.7 from 179.0 the week before.

In Bolton, the rate decreased from 225.0 to 171.8 in the same period.

Hospital admissions have fallen too.