FOURTEEN new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Basingstoke and Deane yesterday.

The total number of cases in the borough since the start of the pandemic is now at 1,250.

It comes as almost 17,000 new cases were confirmed across the country on Sunday.

In Hampshire, 108 new cases were confirmed on Sunday.

It comes as talks continue about whether Greater Manchester should be placed in tier 3 local lockdown restrictions.

Greater Manchester may be offered millions in extra funding to accept the strictest coronavirus restrictions as Boris Johnson seeks to prevent a lockdown revolt and mayor Andy Burnham presses for a Commons vote to break the “impasse”.

The Labour mayor was said to have had a “constructive” conversation with the Prime Minister’s chief strategic adviser, Sir Edward Lister, over the weekend and further talks have been scheduled for Monday.

Senior Conservatives, including the influential chairman of the 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady, have backed the Greater Manchester mayor in resisting Tier 3 for the region.

Mr Burnham called for MPs to help workers and businesses hit with the harshest restrictions by having an urgent debate this week, warning “this is not just a Greater Manchester issue”.