Bolton will return to Tier 3 restrictions once the current national lockdown is lifted.
The whole of Greater Manchester will be placed in the 'very high' alert level, meaning that hospitality will remain closed, alongside other entertainment venues such as play areas and cinemas.
Following the announcement, which was made by Health Secretary Matt Hancock earlier today, the leader of Bolton Council has issued a statement.
Coun David Greenhalgh said: "I know there will be a huge amount of frustration and anger out there at the announcement today of further restrictions, which are shared by myself and my colleagues, particularly as our R-rate is reducing.
"But the reality is, although we are improving dramatically and our cases are coming down, we still had 946 new cases in the borough last week, our hospital is packed with COVID patients, and we need to get those figures down even more."
Coun Greenhalgh, who campaigned heavily for hospitality venues to reopen earlier this year, said that once figures in the borough reduce further, he will be "fighting" to get Bolton moved into Tier 2.
He added: "I give residents my word that when we see our figures reach the level of those areas that are currently in Tier 2, which we will achieve under the current trajectory if we continue to follow the guidance, I will be fighting, as I did before, to get our restrictions lifted as soon as possible so that those businesses affected so much by these measures, can reopen and our local economy can start to grow again.
"Bolton Council will continue to prioritise getting those grants and additional help out to those businesses affected under Tier 3 restrictions, and I urge any businesses who feel they are overlooked or fall between the cracks, to get in touch to see if we can help further.
"We must now work together to continue to get our rates down to enable us to get back to the normality we all want."
The Government has since provided its rationale for putting Greater Manchester in Tier 3 on the Parliamentary website.
It reads: "While there has been continued improvement in Greater Manchester, weekly case rates remain very high, especially amongst those aged over 60, at around 260 per 100,000 people.
"The pressure on the local NHS is decreasing in some areas but remains a concern; Manchester University hospital and Pennine Acute Trust remain under significant pressure."
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