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Liverpool City Region Covid19 Updates
... and Important Emergency Notices ...

YOU can get daily major and interesting news updates for the Liverpool City Region on our free email news service, via signing up on:- Formby Reporter.  If you have any updates to send in or any views on the posts on here, please email us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.


This page last updated on 07 December 2020


Southport and Birkdale Sports Club seeks support for Indoor School fundraising appeal

REMINDER that CJRS claims must now be submitted within 14 calendar days after the month they relate to, unless this falls on a weekend in which case the deadline is the next weekday, and employers will need to remember to get their claims in on time.

Employers should check if they're eligible and work out how much they can claim using our CJRS calculator and examples, by searching:- 'Job Retention Scheme' on:- GOV‌.UK.

Submit any claims for November, no later than 14‌‌‌ December 2020.

Keep any records that support the amount of CJRS grant they claim, in case HMRC needs to check them. ‌

It's also worth noting employers and employees do not need to have used the scheme already to make a claim now. Those applying for the 1st time will need:-

1. A Government Gateway (GG) ID and password; if you don't already have a GG account, you can apply for one on GOV‌‌‌.UK by searching for:- 'HMRC services - sign in or register'

2. To be enrolled for PAYE online.

3. The following information for each furloughed employee you'll be claiming for:-

 Name.

 National Insurance number.

 claim period and amount.

 PAYE/Employee number.

An HMRC spokesperson said:- "Monthly deadlines ensure the impact of Coronavirus on businesses and individuals and the support the scheme is providing can be regularly evaluated. Employers will still be able to claim in advance of paying their staff and they can claim before, during or after they process their payroll as long as their claim is submitted by the relevant claim deadline. HMRC guidance has information on how to calculate claims and support is available for employers to help get them get their claims right."


Maghull student's petition gets 160,000 signatures and a Parliamentary debate

LABOUR MP, Bill Esterson has spoken in support of a petition started by a 16 year old student, from Maghull, calling for GCSE and A Level exams next summer to be cancelled. Alex D'Arcy, 16, a student at Merchant Taylor's School, started the petition in the summer of this year after becoming concerned that after pupils had missed so much Schooling between March and July, that any examinations taking place in 2021 could not be fair. The petition gained 169,000 signatures and triggered a Westminster Hall debate during which Bill Esterson, MP for Sefton Central where Alex lives, spoke in praise of the teenager. Mr Esterson said:- "I am incredibly proud of Alex for bringing his petition, he's done a terrific job in highlighting this issue. He deserves enormous credit. We should encourage our young people to do as he has done, and I hope that what he has done in getting 169,000 people to join him in signing the petition, it's the kind of impetus the Minister needs to take the action that all of our children and young people need to have a fair crack this year."


Targeted, SMART Covid19 testing for residents who don't have got symptoms starts in Sefton

AN extension of the successful testing program that has been taking place in Liverpool has started in Sefton. The new program will help prevent people who have the virus but not its symptoms, from unknowingly passing it on to family and friends, some of whom may be vulnerable.

Initially, Sefton Council will be encouraging those who work in frontline services, those who work with vulnerable residents and Schools staff to come forward for testing.

Ten thousand tests will be available each week in Sefton. Focusing on identifying people who are positive will help prevent onward transmission and protect those people for whom the virus could be dangerous or fatal. It will also help contract tracing and identifying potential infection hotspots.

The tests used for the SMART programme are Lateral Flow Tests which provide a result in about 30 minutes. People who have had a positive Coronavirus in the past 90 days should not attend.

Military staff are setting up testing sites at:- Aintree Racecourse, Bootle Leisure Centre, and at Splash World, in Southport. Southport's site will open to the public from Wednesday, 9 December, Bootle's will open to the public from Thursday, 10 December and the Aintree Racecourse site will open to the public from Friday, 11 December 2020.

All 3 centres will be open from 9am to 6pm, 7 days a week and from Friday, operation of the sites will transfer from the military to the 75 staff the Council has recruited and trained to run them. Once the three sites are up and running, the Council will look at setting up mobile or pop up sites.

Margaret Jones, Sefton Council's Director of Public Health said:- "The roll out of this testing will help to identify people who have the COVID19 virus, but not the symptoms and drive down the R-number in Sefton and the City Region. Initially, we are focusing the available resources on groups where we have identified testing will have the greatest effect in reducing transmission and protecting vulnerable people and the frontline staff who work with them. Plus, the results will feed into the local contract tracing and will help us identify where hotspots of infections might be emerging. We have to remember though, a negative result is not a free pass to ignoring the Tier 2 restrictions we are all following. A negative test result means people are not infectious on that day, but that can change, which is why we will be repeating tests with our target groups. And, of course it's vital that anybody who does develop the Coronavirus symptoms self isolates and call:- 119 or visits:- NHS.UK immediately to book a test.”

Anyone who shows a positive result after their SMART Test will then be advised on isolating and making an appointment for a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test that will confirm whether they have the virus

Sefton residents who don't have Coronavirus symptoms can also use Liverpool test sites to get a test. Details of how and where people can get a test are at:- Liverpool.Gov.UK.

Sefton has Walk Through Test Centres located at:- Bootle Town Hall, Crosby Library Car Park, Netherton Activity Centre and Southport Town Hall. Open from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week. These Walk Through Centres provide easy access to Covid19 tests for people with Coronavirus symptoms who do not have access to a car and for those who have Coronavirus symptoms and should not travel by public transport.

Additionally, Mobile Testing Units are at locations across Sefton nearly every day. Details can be found on:- MySefton.Co.UK.


Adult Social Care Chief Nurse

CARE England, the largest representative body of independent adult social care providers, has welcomed the appointment of Professor Deborah Sturdy as the new Adult Social Care Chief Nurse. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:- "The appointment of Professor Deborah Sturdy marks an important milestone in the development of social care nursing. Deborah has extensive experience in the independent sector as well as the NHS and I am confident that she will enable better understanding of social care nursing across the health and care system."

Announced within the Adult Social Care Winter Plan in September, the Adult Social Care Chief Nurse, will provide clinical and professional leadership to staff in the sector whilst upholding and raising standards among the care workforce. Martin Green continues:- "This role is really important and we look forward to working with Professor Sturdy and her team."


Hospitality, Leisure and Retail Grant (Expanded Scheme)

INVESTSEFTON are reminding businesses on behalf of Sefton Council that the Hospitality, Leisure and Retail Grant (Expanded Scheme) will close at 5pm, Friday, 11 December 2020. The Liverpool City Region has combined the recently announced Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG (Open) and the Additional Restrictions Grant to create this grant scheme.

You can only apply if you meet 1 of the 3 descriptions below, was established and trading before the 11 March 2020, still trading on 1st October 2020 and intend to continue trading. Please note that you can only apply for 1 grant per business.

Retail businesses that operate from commercial retail premises, that have been forced to close due to national restrictions and are not eligible for Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed).

Businesses that supply directly to the Hospitality and Leisure sectors, operate from commercial premises and are not eligible for Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed).

Home based businesses (for example; a self employed person, sole trader, or a limited company) that predominantly works in or supplies the Hospitality and Leisure sectors and can no longer generate income through usual channels (for example; customer meetings) and has ongoing business related costs. Licensed Market traders (in any part of the Retail sector) are eligible to apply under this category.

Sefton council says that:- "if you are able to apply they urge you to read the Guidance and Checklist document before you do. This document explains what information you will need to provide and upload with your application form. Your application will not be processed if this information is not supplied. To apply for the grant you will need to get your application in before until 5pm, on Friday, 11 December 2020. Please click here for more information and the check list."


Vital information for rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness in Sefton this winter

SEFTON Council has a range of all year round services for rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness throughout the Borough. Outreach teams are on hand to seek out rough sleepers and encourage them to access emergency accommodation to ensure nobody sleeps rough in Sefton this winter. This is especially important during the cold temperatures Sefton is experiencing at the moment, and through the winter months through to March 2021. The help of the public is always appreciated. To report an incident of rough sleeping in Sefton, people should call the Rough Sleeper Outreach Team via Light for Life on:- 01704501256 or 07918746042 outside normal office hours and weekends. Alternatively, people can email:- Housing.Options@Sefton.Gov.UK and provide details of the location and any description of the person.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton's Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said:- "This Council has a long standing commitment to helping people who are suffering from homelessness and supporting those rough sleepers who may find themselves in a vulnerable position without a safe and warm place to call home. There are so many additional pressures that our communities are facing this year, and as a result people may find themselves in need of support through absolutely no fault of their own. As we all continue to face challenges this winter, we will continue to support anyone within Sefton facing homelessness, working with partners to provide a range of help and assistance."

Veterans in Sefton (ViS) has also been commissioned to provide support to people who are currently serving or who have served in the Armed Forces, regulars and reservists, their families and their dependents, who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. ViS is based at The Brunswick Youth and Community Centre, in Bootle. For any further help and information from ViS people can call:- 01519330800 or 07545129569 for out of hours assistance.


People are far more likely to shop in Formby after the Covid19 lockdown, according to a new local survey

THESE results will come as a relief to:- local shops, restaurants, hairdressers and other local businesses which will be desperate for support as the area moves from a national lockdown into less restrictive Tier 2 measures in the run up to Christmas. The views were revealed through a survey of hundreds of local people by ImagineFormby, which is working hard to improve the area. The group has now been formalised as a Community Interest Company with Patricia Wordley, Kevin Haygarth and Blair Hilton as Directors. Other members include:- Sean Brady, local film maker Lynne Harwood and Danish designer Karsten Erikson.

ImagineFormby Director Patricia Wordley, who owns Woodwards Wine Bar in Formby Village, said:- "We had a much better response to the Formby Community Survey that we anticipated and received plenty of detailed comments and ideas to digest. We want to thank all those who completed the survey and those who told us they would be happy to be consulted further. We have reached out to them via email to share the results of the survey and outline the next stage."

The survey revealed a fascinating insight into what people think about Formby.

Local traders will be heartened to hear that shoppers recognise the need to shop local and eat local after the challenges of the past few months. 41.7% of respondents said they would be 'more likely' to shop in Formby once lockdown is lifted.

People were generally happy with the general appearance of the village, although shop frontages (287 = Yes, 211 = No) saw the biggest split in opinion.

The comments suggested the concern was due to people wanting to see more retail units filled.

Feedback included:- "Too many tatty shop frontages… and frequently a large amount of litter;" "The empty shops look awful;" and "More independent shops, less charity!"

The empty units could point to an area of opportunity for new food outlets.

When asked whether the variety of places to eat and drink in the village met their needs, 47.3% replied Yes with 41.1% saying No.

Comments included:- "Not enough variety for meals out, eg:- vegetarian;" "We need to have some more bars and eateries;" and that:- "It would be great to have some more independent bars and coffee houses."

Most people (286) travel by car to the Village, with 259 walking and just 8 arriving by bus and 14 cycling in. Even so, 96 said access to public transport is good, with just 23 saying it wasn't.

People love their shops in Formby. When asked what they value most about Formby Village, 249 put shops as their top answer, with 139 for restaurants, cafes and bars and 127 saying convenience.

Low scoring was trees and landscaping (19), nightlife (8) and community events (8).

Shopping was people's top concern when asked what the biggest issues facing Formby are.

The top 4 answers here were:-

1 - Limited choice of retail outlets (144)

2 - Empty shops (127)

3 - High rates and rents (125)

4 - Too many charity shops (96)

1 respondent said:- "The number of empty shops and charity shops is a huge issue. It will surely get worse now with Covid and anyone who was struggling before will not be able to carry on. We have clearly got too many shops and some need to be turned into housing."

This was backed up by another question:- "What are the main reasons why you visit Formby Village" seeing shopping out in front with a score of 359, way ahead of banking and post office (48), dining (34) and to meet friends (33).

Patricia Wordley said:- "Some interesting themes came through; appearance wise, many respondents pointed to the empty shop units and multiple charity shops as being off putting. Not enough variety of shops and bars / restaurants. Also, many people think a form of pedestrianisation of the village would improve it. Lots do appreciate the tree lined wide walk ways and opportunities to socialise. It has taken us some time to analyse and consider the data. To move to the next stage, we sub divided into themes:-

 Environment and Appearance.

 Arts, Culture and Heritage.

 Local Business.

 Youth and Community.

We have designed a follow up survey that will probe into these specific themes. We are also in the process of forming groups for each theme and keen to encourage local volunteers to participate in the development of ideas and actions going forward."


'Together With Music' Aims to lift winter spirits through intergenerational connections and the sharing of music

CARE England in partnership with Intergenerational Music Making are launching Together with Music a new project to lift the spirits of thousands of Care Home residents this winter. This initiative will strengthen and build upon links between education, health and community organisations adopting music as a conduit for sharing cultural heritage, providing a physical and emotional bond and enhancing individual identity for the young and old.

Hundreds of Care Homes are expected to join in this project that links them to local Schools and youth groups using the power of music and the Internet. This will reduce the isolation that has been created by Covid19 restrictions.

All homes will be matched to a local School or youth group. Both the Care Home residents and the young people will choose songs that are meaningful to them and share them with each other. This musical introduction will act as a vehicle into further connection, creativity and stronger community links across England.

Music has been recognised as an effective way of engaging people including those with dementia which make up a large proportion of Care Home residents. This project builds on the impact of the BBC Music for Dementia initiative in September as part of World Alzheimer's Month.

An initial programme:- 'Musical Conversations' run by IMM with MHA showed the transformative value of these musical connections. One resident commented:- "Music is so powerful and it's been really uplifting receiving personalised messages from the most wonderful children. Long may it continue!"

Together with Music will build virtual connections between Care Homes and their local communities through the winter months when so many are feeling isolated, depressed and disconnected. Through music and the act of music making, we aim to raise awareness, establish links and in turn, tackle loneliness, isolation and promote sustainable socialising for those most vulnerable. This campaign will encourage community partnerships and empower care staff, teachers and community members to play an active role in their neighbourhoods. Through connection and collaboration, we will build strong, creative and resilient communities and offer both the young and the old an opportunity to explore, develop and come together in music.

Launch care provider partners are Barchester Healthcare, Hallmark Care Homes and MHA. The project has been made possible with funding from Tunstall Healthcare and the Hallmark Care Homes Foundation along with supporting contributions from Oomph!, Zenergi and CoolCare.

Quote from Professor Martin Green, CEO Care England:- "Care Homes are especially mindful of the need to consider the emotional and spiritual well being of residents whilst restrictions are in place to protect them from Covid19. This project will bring a ray of sunshine to thousands of lives and help counter feelings of isolation during the winter months."

Quote from IMM Director, Charlotte Miller:- "We are thrilled that we are partnering with Care England in this exciting intergenerational campaign. Together with Music will connect young people with Care Home residents through music to raise awareness, establish links and in turn, tackle loneliness, isolation and promote sustainable socialisation for those most vulnerable. It shall be through these magical connections and collaborations that Together with Music will build strong, creative and resilient communities. It starts with a song!"

Quote from Avnish Goyal, Chair of Care England, Hallmark Care Homes and the Hallmark Foundation:- "We are delighted to be involved in this initiative, music plays a huge part in all of our lives and has so many benefits for people living with dementia. We are sure this campaign will spread a lot of joy this winter and further strengthen the great relationships we have with our local communities. We are looking forward to seeing the impact this work will have in the coming weeks."

Quote from Pete Calveley, CEO Barchester Healthcare:- "We know from years of experience that engaging with music and with young people has a profoundly enriching effect on the lives of our residents. We're certain that this wonderful project will be hugely beneficial to everyone involved."

Quote from Sam Monaghan, CEO MHA:- "Music in people's lives is so important, something we recognised when we pioneered music therapy for people living with dementia in our Care Homes. It has life enhancing results, lifting spirits, helping reduce anxiety and impacting positively on the lives of our residents. In addition, linking generations through the medium of music helps create bonds at a time when face to face contact is not always possible, which is why we are so proud to be a part of the campaign."

Quote from Gavin Bashar, Managing Director UK and Ireland, Tunstall Healthcare:- "Our technologies have been developed not just to help people remain safe and independent, but also to keep them connected. We are delighted to support 'Together with Music' an innovative way of bringing younger and older people together in their local communities."


Total UK cases Covid19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region

THE total number of UK Coronavirus (Covid19) infections that have been laboratory confirmed, within the UK, has risen by:- 14,718 cases and the total number now stand at:- 1,737,960 that includes tests carried out by commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National totals.

The total number of Covid19 associated UK fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be:- 189, within 28 days of positive test, according to the Department of Health. The total number of deaths of people who have had a positive test result confirmed by a Public Health or NHS laboratory is:- 61,434, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 69,752.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 14,556. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 1,274 Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 1,438.

In England, there are a total of:- 1,490,720 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 316,170 confirmed cases.

The number of laboratory confirmed cases within the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-
 

Area and number of confirmed cases:- Risen by:-



National UK Lockdown

Lockdown

 Liverpool City Region

Liverpool, 24,497 confirmed cases.

53

Halton, 4,845 confirmed cases.

25

Knowsley, 7,965 confirmed cases. 22
Sefton, 10,712 confirmed cases..

17

St. Helens, 7,862 confirmed case.

19

Wirral, 10,187 confirmed cases.

32

 
Colour Key:- 0  1 to 10 11 to 20 21 to 30  31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to100 100 over  



The number of laboratory confirmed cases within Local Authorities around the Liverpool City Region, since start of the Pandemic, are as follows:-

 

 Blackburn with Darwen, 10,033 confirmed cases.

 Blackpool, 5,417 confirmed cases.

 Bolton, 15,562 confirmed cases.

 Bury, 10,155 confirmed cases.

 Cheshire East, 9,391 confirmed cases.

 Cheshire West and Chester, 9,326 confirmed cases.

 Lancashire, 49,570 confirmed cases.

 Manchester, 32,035 confirmed cases.

 Oldham, 15,159 confirmed cases.

 Preston, 7,466 confirmed cases.

 Rochdale, 13,118 confirmed cases.

 Salford, 13,705 confirmed cases.

 Stockport, 10,853 confirmed cases.

 Tameside, 10,691 confirmed cases.

 Trafford, 8,909 confirmed cases.

 Warrington, 8,449 confirmed cases

 Wigan, 17,131 confirmed cases.

 





 

Daily reported Covid19 deaths are now measured across the UK as deaths that occurred within 28 days of the 1st laboratory confirmed positive Covid19 test.   Daily and cumulative numbers of Covid19 patients admitted to Hospital. Data are not updated every day by all 4 nations and the figures are not comparable as Wales include suspected Covid19 patients while the other nations include only confirmed cases.
 

The latest R number is estimated at:- 0.8 to 1 with a daily infection growth rate range of:- -3% to -1% as of 4 December 2020..


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