Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates - 2020-09-10

Southport Reporter - You local online newspaper for Merseyside and the Liverpool City Region.

   
  .Sign up to get our FREE email news bulletins.  

   
 
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 10 September 2020


Government sets out comprehensive support for renters this winter

THE UK Government has announced new Emergency legislation that has increased notice periods to 6 months until at least the end of March 2021. Evictions will not be enforced in local lockdown areas and there will be a truce on enforcement over Christmas ₤180m  of Government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments available for Local Authorities to support vulnerable renters this year Renters affected by Coronavirus will continue to be supported over autumn and winter through comprehensive measures confirmed on 10 September 2020, by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick.

The Government has now changed the law to increase notice periods to 6 months meaning renters now served notice can stay in their homes over winter, with time to find alternative support or accommodation. The only exceptions to this are the most egregious cases, including where tenants have demonstrated anti social behaviour or committed fraud, and the landlord rightly would like to re-let their property to another tenant.

Restarting possession proceedings is seen by the Government as an important step towards transitioning out of emergency measures and allowing the market to operate while ensuring people have appropriate access to justice. But a spokesperson commented:- "Where tenants do experience financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic, the Government is clear that landlords and tenants should work together and exhaust all possible options; such as flexible payment plans which take into account a tenant's individual circumstances; to ensure cases only end up in court as an absolute last resort."

The Housing Secretary, also on 10 September 2020, has confirmed that with Coronavirus still posing a risk, if an area is in a local lockdown that includes a restriction on gathering in homes, evictions will not be enforced by bailiffs.

This support builds on the unprecedented package the Government has put in place to help communities through the pandemic, including support for businesses to pay staff salaries and strengthening the welfare safety net with a nearly ₤9.3bn boost to the welfare system. This includes an extra ₤1bn to increase Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates so that they cover the lowest 30% of market rents, meaning we now spend ₤25bn supporting households to meet the cost of rent in the private and social rented sectors.

For those renters who require additional support, there is an existing ₤180m of Government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments made available this year, an increase of ₤40m from last year and which is for councils to distribute to support renters with housing costs.

"We will keep these measures under constant review and our decisions will continue to be guided by the latest public health advice. and Support with housing costs may also be available for those on low incomes or who are out of work eligible for Universal Credit. No landlord, including those who only rent out a single property, has had access to the Courts since March, including to regain possession in cases where the tenant has broken the law. So it is right that landlords are able to access justice, alongside measure to protect the vulnerable. The Government would like to thank landlords for their forbearance during this difficult time."
A spokesperson said for Government.

From 21 September Courts will start to hear possession hearings again. When cases are heard again these will be subject to new court processes and procedures which the Judiciary have developed. These include:-

The prioritisation of cases, such as those involving anti social behaviour and other crimes, as well as extreme rent arrears where landlords would otherwise face unmanageable debts.

No cases from before 3 August 2020 will immediately proceed to hearing, but will have to be 're-activated' by the landlord and then subject to a new review hearing, at least four weeks before the substantive hearing.

Landlords will also need to provide the courts and Judges with information on how tenants have been affected by the pandemic. Where this information is not provided, judges will be able to adjourn proceedings until the information is provided.  

There will also be a 'winter truce' on the enforcement of evictions, with no evictions permitted in England and Wales in the run up to and over Christmas except in the most serious circumstances, such as cases involving anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse. This will ensure vulnerable tenants are not forced from their homes at a time when public and Local Authorities may be dealing with the usual level of increased demand for services during this time. To achieve this, guidance will be issued to bailiffs that they should not enforce possession orders in the weeks of Christmas.

Housing  Secretary  Rt  Hon Robert  Jenrick  MP said: - "We have protected renters during the pandemic by banning evictions for 6 months; the longest eviction ban in the UK. To further support renters we have increased notice periods to 6 months, an unprecedented measure to help keep people in their homes over the winter months. It's right that we strike a balance between protecting vulnerable renters and ensuring landlords whose tenants have behaved in illegal or anti social ways have access to justice. Our legislation means such cases will be subject to shorter notice periods and then prioritised through the judiciary's new court processes.”

The British Government has said that they have:- "taken unprecedented action to support renters during the pandemic, preventing people getting into financial hardship and helping businesses to pay salaries." Adding that:- "The vast majority of landlords have shown understanding and leadership, taking action to support tenants despite facing hardship themselves. According to independent research, 87% of tenants have continued to pay full rent since the start of the pandemic, with a further 8% agreeing reduced fees with their landlords." Also that:- "The Government is committed to striking the right balance in the relationship between landlords and tenants and new guidance will be published before the stay on possession proceedings ends to help both understand their rights under the court system and the financial support available."

What are your thoughts on this? Will this affect you? Please so let us know by emailing us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.


Social Care's Digital Transformation

CARE England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has embraced social care's digital transformation. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:- "The provision of care centres around the individual and any measure that can help deliver better outcomes for people accessing health and social care needs to be embraced. For a real digital transformation in care it is essential that there is an equal partnership between care and health organisations which should be supported equally by NHS resources, be they financial or skills based."

On 8 September Care England hosted a webinar with Matthew Gould, Chief Executive of NHSX, to explore the power of social care's digital transformation. In its response to COVID-19 the sector has rapidly deployed digital technologies which in turn have brought about changes to work practices and new models of healthcare. The webinar explored how the focus of digital technologies could be sustained beyond the pandemic and become embedded in the fabric of health and social care.

Care England outlined the focus of digital transformation in terms of:-

Creating value and better outcomes for individuals.

Creating value for the health and care system as a whole.

Creating value for care providers themselves.

Creating value in greater safety and less risk.

Martin Green continued:- "This event crystallised Care England's willingness to support digital developments and maturity in the adult social care sector. We were very heartened that Matthew Gould was so engaged and really understood the sector, there are a number of actions we can work on together in order to ensure that the barriers in digital maturity are knocked down."


Total UK cases COVID19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region

THE total number of UK Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections that have been laboratory confirmed, within the UK, has risen by 2,919 cases and the total number now stand at 358,138, that includes tests carried out by commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National totals.

The number of COVID-19 associated UK fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be 14 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 41,608.

The number of COVID-19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 837. The current number of COVID-19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 80. Daily number of COVID-19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 141.

In England, there are a total of 309,133 confirmed cases. North West - total of 57,961 confirmed cases.

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

Liverpool, 3,216 confirmed cases.

Halton, 794 confirmed cases.

Knowsley, 1,172 confirmed cases.

Sefton, 1,823 confirmed cases.

St. Helens, 1,398 confirmed cases

Wirral, 2,464 confirmed cases.



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

Blackburn with Darwen, 1,988 confirmed cases.

Blackpool, 1,140 confirmed cases.

Bolton, 2,936 confirmed cases.

Bury, 1,747 confirmed cases.

Cheshire East, 2,502 confirmed cases.

Cheshire West and Chester, 2,228 confirmed cases.

Lancashire, 8,866 confirmed cases.

Manchester, 4,784 confirmed cases.

Oldham, 3,155 confirmed cases.

Preston, 1,586 confirmed cases.

Rochdale, 2,463 confirmed cases.

Salford, 2,072 confirmed cases.

Stockport, 2,097 confirmed cases.

Tameside, 2,164 confirmed cases.

Trafford, 1,809 confirmed cases.

Warrington, 1,567 confirmed cases.

Wigan, 2,461 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.


Previous 24hr Data


PLEASE ALSO SEE OUR WEEKLY EDITION...

Published weekly, as normal...
Click
here to see it!

Help us stay online...
Become a Patron!


 External links are selected and reviewed when the page is published. However we are not responsible for the content of external websites and links might change. If you find a problem, please report it to us.


 

 

Please support local businesses like:-
The Kings Plaice 

Our live webcams...

This is a live image that reloads every 30 seconds.

An Image from our Southport Webcam above. To see it live, please click on image.


See the view live webcamera images of the road outside our studio/newsroom in the hart of Southport.

An Image from our Southport Webcam above. To see it live, please click on image.

 

Please support local businesses like:-

 


Click on to find out why the moon changes phases.  
This is the current phase of the moon. For more lunar related information, please click on here.

Disability Confident - Committed

 

Find out whats on in and around Merseyside!



This is just 1 of the events on our event calendar, click on
here to see lots more!

This online newspaper and information service is regulated by IMPRESS, the UK Press Regulator.

This online newspaper and information service is regulated by IMPRESS the independent monitor for the UK's press.

This is our process:-
Complaints
Policy - Complaints Procedure - Whistle Blowing Policy

Contact us:-

(+44)
  08443244195

Calls will cost 7p per minute, plus your telephone company's access charge.
Calls to this number may be recorded for security, broadcast, training and record keeping.

Click on to see our Twitter Feed.   Click on to see our Facebook Page.   This website is licence to carry news from Vamphire.com and UK Press Photography. Click on to see our Twitter Feed.


Our News Room Office Address

Southport and Mersey Reporter, 4a Post Office Ave,
Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0US, UK

 
 
Tracking & Cookie Usage Policy - Terms & Conditions
 
 
  - Southport Reporter® is the Registered Trade Mark of Patrick Trollope.