Greater Manchester now has a lower coronavirus infection rate than the average figure for England, the latest data shows.
It's the first time the region-wide figure has dipped below the national average since May 1.
The infection rate is expressed per 100, 000 people.
The latest Public Health England (PHE) figures show the rate for the week ending December 8 was 151.3 per 100,000 people in Greater Manchester.
It is below the average rate for England which currently stands at 165.9, and more than 70 points below the rate in London's, which stands at 224.2.
In fact, there are now six boroughs below the national average in Greater Manchester.
Bolton, Salford, Tameside, Stockport, Trafford and now Oldham all have lower transmission rates than the average for the nation as a whole.
In Bolton the rolling rate stood at 147.1 per 100,000 in the seven days ending December 8.
It was 112.5 in Stockport, 91.0 in Tameside, 87.2 in Trafford and 156.5 in Oldham.
Bury is the only borough where the rate going up with a 2pc increase in the same week.
The town currently has an infection rate of 221.5 per 100,000 people.
In Manchester, the rate has remained the same week-on-week with a rate of 175.6.
In the same week, the infection rate in Salford was 135.2 per 100,000.
The latest infection rates for the week ending December 12 for Greater Manchester are:
Bury - 221.5 up 2 per cent
Rochdale - 198.7, down 17 per cent
Manchester - 175.6, no change
Wigan - 172.5 down 17 per cent
Oldham - 156.5, down 19 per cent
Bolton - 147.1 down 23 per cent
Salford - 135.2, down 5 per cent
Stockport - 112.5, down 9 per cent
Tameside - 91.0, down 36 per cent
Trafford - 87.2, down 12 per cent
The government is due to review all tiers on December 16 - two weeks after the system was first implemented.
An announcement on any changes to the allocations is then expected the following day.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the disparity in rates could see the region split up into different tiers when the government come to review the system next week.
He added that leaders would prefer to see the region move 'as one,' but accepted that discussions would need to take place with local MPs in the coming days.
