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Southport Surge Testing (Sefton) Update

RESIDENTS in areas of Sefton which are subject to surge testing are being urged to continue to adhere to national lockdown restrictions. While there are no extra restrictions in place for those communities where the South African variant of Covid19 has been discovered, residents are being encouraged to continue to follow national lockdown guidelines and limit their time away from home. Surge testing, both at Mobile Testing Units (MTUs) and doorstep testing, is currently taking place in the Cambridge, Dukes and Norwood wards of Southport. Residents aged 16 or over in these wards who are not showing any symptoms of Covid19 are being encouraged to safely play their part and get tested to help stop the spread of the virus and its variants. Aside from getting a test, residents should be staying at home as much as possible and only be going out for essential purposes; such as shopping for essential supplies, going to work if we can't do so from home, providing care and daily exercise.

Margaret Jones, Sefton Council's Director of Public Health, said:- "Everyone in all of our communities should continue to follow the national lockdown restrictions in order to protect our most vulnerable. There are no additional restrictions in place for those areas where surge testing is being carried out but we do encourage residents of those areas take extra care and try to limit their time away from home. People who live and work in these surge areas can use either of two dedicated MTUs, as long as they don't have Coronavirus symptoms of a high temperature, persistent new cough or a loss of taste or smell. It doesn't take long to get a test and some people may want to call in for theirs while they are out taking their daily exercise."

Residents and those who work in the areas of Cambridge, Dukes and Norwood wards can visit either the Kew Park and Ride MTU on Foul Lane or the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre MTU on the Promenade.

Both units accept vehicle and walk in arrivals, while there is no need to book in advance.

Testing runs from 8am to 6.30pm, at both sites, however, it is recommended to arrive by 6pm to ensure you are tested.

₤3.4m funding boost for life changing Households into Work programme

A programme that has delivered life changing support to help thousands of long term unemployed people as they try to find work has secured ₤3.4m funding to enable its work to continue for another 2 years. Households into Work was launched in 2018 by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram as a pilot project to support long term unemployed people who have difficulty finding and sustaining employment. Since Households into Work started, more than 2,200 people have been supported, many of whom have either never worked or been long term unemployed, with more than 250 successfully finding work. 20% of those on the programme have never worked before, while nearly 40% have been unemployed for more than 3 years. Over the course of 12 months, participants work on a 1 to 1 basis with a dedicated employment advocate who helps them to prepare for and find employment.

Steve Rotheram Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:- "I've always said that the big advantage of devolution is that it allows us to do things differently and Households Into Work is a perfect example of that. We treat people as human beings, offering them the guidance, support and coaching they need to find a job and stay in it. It couldn't be more different from the sanctions first approach we see from national government. And that compassionate approach is really bearing fruit. With every single person we're able to help through Households Into Work, we're not only helping to change their lives, but the lives of so many others around them too. I am so proud of everyone who has taken part in the programme and really delighted that we're putting the funding in place to help it continue."

Fahd Al Mashehari registered with Households into Work programme in November 2020 and was supported by his Employment Advocate Heather. He said:- "I had recently moved to the UK to start a new life and look for a job. Heather offered me and my wife many services in order to improve our skills in finding jobs including English language classes for Tamheel, my wife. She has helped me to get proper internet access and improve my IT skills by referring me for another programme scheme called Pathways to Work which gave me a laptop and an office package (table and chair). She also helped me in obtaining my UK driving license which I believe was one of the biggest work obstacles for me. Finally I got a part time job as legal assistant in a solicitor office."

Cllr Wendy Simon, Portfolio Holder for Education, Employment and Skills at the Combined Authority and Acting Mayor of Liverpool, said:- "Each of the local authority areas in the city region works in partnership with Households into Work to deliver the programme which is making such a difference to so many people's lives. I'm delighted they will now be able to continue their good work and I look forward to seeing more people overcome their own issues to move into work or closer to being ready to work."

Since Households into Work started, more than 2,200 people have been supported, many of whom have either never worked or been out of work for three years or more. That support continued when lockdown measures were 1st introduced in March 2020, and between March 2020 and December 2020 Households into Work supported over 700 people.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority approved ₤1.4m from its Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) before Christmas, and a further ₤1.995 million in ESF funding from the Department for Work and Pensions has now been approved. This funding will support the second phase of the programme through to December 2022.

The programme has a team of 25 based in each of the six Liverpool City Region Local Authority areas. They work on an outreach basis with long term unemployed people who are dealing with a range of issues, including financial crises, mental health problems, the risk of eviction or homelessness, domestic abuse, social isolation or chronic health issues.

Other members of the household are also encouraged to join the programme so that the issues can be addressed collectively as well as individually.

For more information on the Households into Work programme or to find out how you can be referred go to:- LiverpoolCityRegion-CA.Gov.UK.

Create and Niveda celebrate Topping Out for Prestige Student Living Accommodation Project in Liverpool

NUMBERS of rat infestations in empty and closed buildings in the UK has reach:- "biblical levels" as Pest Controllers warn landlords and building owners to check premises for infestations well before lockdown restrictions ease.

"The big worry is when shops, restaurants and offices are unlocked in preparation for openings over the next few months, that business owners are going to discover fairly advanced infestations of rats and mice," explains Jenny Rathbone from Pest.co.uk

The big freeze, lockdowns and food stockpiling have created the ideal environment for rats and mice to enjoy a little quiet time in vacant buildings; and because many were quickly locked and left, the worry is that infestations will have taken hold.

"Rats will always find something to eat; even a leather sofa will do. So, any property with food left around will attract a rodent and empty buildings and shops are ideal. Rats climb up wastewater pipes easily, and once in an empty building can breed like crazy and cause major damage," Rathbone adds.

Rats especially are very bad news in any commercial building as they chew wires, internet cables, keyboards and electrical wiring. Their bite is in fact 6 times stronger, relative to their size, than a great white shark and the damage can be severe. Pest controllers have seen evidence of cunning rats moving a crisp packet and placing it over a glue trap, to enable them to travel across it without being caught.

With the closure of food outlets, meaning less food on the street; rats have had to adapt to their new world, moving around to live in empty commercial properties, locked and left by businesses closed by lockdown.

Jenny Rathbone from Pest Controller explains:- "The worry now is that when lockdown restrictions are eased, and businesses tentatively open up again, that the growing populations of rodents will be discovered. We are gearing up for a busy year in 2021"

The main worries for post lockdown rodent infestations are caused by these factors:-

► POPULATION - The population of rats in the UK grew 25% in 2020, from 120m in 2019, to 150m in 2020.

► RESISTANCE - Common pest control methods are less effective caused by rats developing resistance to poisons used to control numbers.

► LOCKDOWN - Empty buildings are the ideal breeding grounds for rodents.

Jenny concludes:- "As always being pro-active is the best solution, but failing that I'd just recommend anyone responsible for a commercial property which has been left empty is to check over their premises well in advance of opening."

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:- 9,765 cases and the total number now stand at:- 4,047,843 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:-230 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:- 117,396, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 121,674.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 23,341. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 2,943 Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 1,641.

In England, there are a total of:- 3,546,803 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 557,077 confirmed cases.

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

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

Liverpool City Region

Nation Lockdown

National UK Restrictions

► Liverpool, 46,010 confirmed cases.
108

► Halton, 11,292 confirmed cases.
33

► Knowsley, 16,572 confirmed cases. 36

► Sefton, 22,562 confirmed cases.
40

► St. Helens, 15,797 confirmed cases.
72

► Wirral, 23,095 confirmed cases.

51

Colour Key:- 0 1 to 10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 100 100 to 199 200 & 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, 16,705 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 8,594 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 23,207 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 15,656 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 19,062 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 19,926 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 89,733 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 48,296 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 21,002 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 12,327 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 19,140 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 20,988 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 18,680 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 16,229 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 15,148 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 16,544 confirmed cases

► Wigan, 26,340 confirmed cases.

Total UK people who have received vaccination

1st Dose 2nd Dose

15,300,151 539,630

Jab Stats correct as of 14 February 2021

The vaccination programme began on 8 December 2020 with people receiving the vaccine developed by Pfizer / BioNTech, and people began receiving the Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine from 4 January 2021. Both vaccines are given as 2 doses, at least 21 days apart, for a full vaccination course.

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:- 0.7 to 0.9 with a daily infection growth rate range of:- -5% to -2%, as of 12 February 2021.

Previous 24hr Data

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