Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

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Sefton's Public Health Director stresses Coronavirus test are only for people with symptoms

WITH a recent survey of the country's Coronavirus testing sites showing a quarter of people turning up for tests did not have symptoms, Sefton's Director of Public Health, Margaret Jonesm has reminded residents they should only book a test of they have symptoms. Mrs Jones said:- "Testing is a crucial tool in helping prevent the spread of Covid19, but with the capacity of labs to process tests currently facing an enormous challenge, people should not book a test unless they have symptoms or have not been advised to take a test by a Doctor or a Public Health professional. People who do have any of the Coronavirus symptoms, which are a high temperature, a persistent new cough or a loss of taste or smell must isolate immediately for 10 days and must stay isolated even if they are waiting test appointment at a nearby location to become available. The rest of their household should self isolate with them while they wait for the results, but if they don't have symptoms, they shouldn't get a test. I know it is frustrating, but it is the same for all of us and it's the best way of making sure we don't pass on the virus to potentially vulnerable friends and loved ones for whom Coronavirus could be very serious or even fatal."

Social distancing, using face masks and coverings where required and when social distancing is not possible and frequent and thorough hand washing are also vital tools in helping prevent the spread of the virus added Mrs Jones. She continued:- "Additionally, anyone identified as a contact of a positive case through Test and Trace must isolate for the full 14 days even if for some reason they get a negative test during that period. But once again, those people should only book a test if they develop a high temperature, a new continuous cough or they lose their sense of taste or smell."

Liverpool City Region and Cheshire Leaders Call for Urgent Deployment of Testing Capacity

THE Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region and the Leaders of 4 Cheshire Local Authorities, on Wednesday, 16 September 2020, called on the Government to urgently deploy more Covid19 testing capacity in the Region. Merseyside was last week identified by the Government as an:- 'area of concern,' with Covid19 cases are rising across the Region. An immediate increase in testing capacity is now urgent to protect the most vulnerable members of the community and avoid further local lockdowns, say the Leaders and Mayor. The call comes jointly from;- Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region; Cllr Louise Gittins, Leader, Cheshire West and Chester Council; Cllr Sam Corcoran, Leader, Cheshire East Council; Cllr Rob Polhill, Leader, Halton Borough Council and Cllr Russ Bowden, Leader, Warrington Borough Council. Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region said:- "Today we have come together to speak with one voice and urge the Government to immediately deploy additional testing capacity in our Region. The North West currently has 24% of England's Covid19 cases but only around 15% of the national testing capacity. This cannot be right and is hampering our effort to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and avoid further, more drastic and damaging lockdown measures. My colleagues and I are fully committed to working in partnership with national Government, but we need the right support and resource to help us at a Regional level. We hope for an immediate, positive response from Government, which is fundamental to us getting the virus under control in our Region."

Get tested at new Coronavirus local testing site on the Wirral

A walk through Coronavirus testing facility has opened at Liscard Community Facilities Complex on the Wirral, as part of the Government's UK wide drive to improve the accessibility of Coronavirus testing for communities.

Testing is only available for those either with Coronavirus symptoms; a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense or taste; or those who have been asked to get tested by a Doctor, Public Health Professional or by their local Council. Anyone with one or more of these symptoms should book a test on:- NHS.UK or by calling:- 119. You can expect your result the next day.

The site is easily accessible without a car. Those being tested will be required to follow Public Health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout, including travelling to and from the Testing Centre.

Anyone attending an appointment at a walk-through testing will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the test site safely.

Testing at the new site started, on Wednesday, 16 September 2020, with more appointments available each day. Testing is available for everyone, with additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.

The site is part of the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities created in British history, including:- 75 drive through sites, 90 walk through sites, 236 mobile units, home testing and satellite kits and three mega laboratories.

Anyone testing positive for the virus in England will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help them track their contacts. This will help people to identify who they may have been in close contact with, protecting others from further transmission.

Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from NHS Test and Trace, advising them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus. They will be advised to also book at a test if they develop symptoms.

Health Minister Lord Bethell said:- "Testing is proving an effective way to contain the virus so we are scaling testing capacity and walk-through centres to make it even easier for everyone to get a free Coronavirus test. Our NHS Test and Trace service will contact you if you test positive or if you have been in close contact with someone who has the virus. I urge anyone with symptoms to book a test today, and anyone contacted by NHS Test and Trace to follow their advice to protect those around them from the virus."

Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said:- "Getting a test is now faster and easier than ever. Local sites will mean anyone who has symptoms can get a free test quickly to find out whether they have the virus and need to stay at home, or can safely return to work and get back to the things they love. Over 95% of people will get their results the next day, and anyone who tests positive will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help to prevent the spread of the virus."

The Testing Centre is being operated in partnership with Mitie and will offer self administered tests. Simon Venn, Chief Government and Strategy Officer, Mitie, said:- "Our priority during the pandemic is to support the nation's efforts to fight Covid19 and help keep the country running. Testing is a critical part of the UK's strategy to combat Coronavirus and we're proud to support the Government with this vital task. A big thank you to all the NHS staff, Mitie employees and other frontline heroes in Wirral, who are working tirelessly to keep us all safe."

In addition to walk through testing sites, there are over 75 Regional drive through test sites and 236 mobile testing units which travel the UK to offer Coronavirus testing. They respond to need, setting up test sites at:- Care Homes, Police Stations and Prisons. The Government has set up a home testing service, supported by Amazon's logistics network and other commercial partners. Home test kits can be delivered to someone's door so they can test themselves and their family without leaving the house. See more information on visiting a local test site on YouTube.

Major concern as Covid19 cases rise in Liverpool

MAYOR of Liverpool Joe Anderson and Director of Public Health, Matt Ashton are urging people to stay Covid19 safe following a worrying rise in cases in the City. Latest figures show that the rate per 100,000 is 106.4; and in just 1 week, 7 September to 13 September 2020, there were 530 positive cases. If the rate continues to rise at this level, it is expected that new restrictive measures will be enforced across the City.

People are being advised to follow the simple guidelines to keep themselves, and those around them, safe:-

► Wash hands regularly.

► Wear a face covering when out and about (unless medically exempt)

► Maintain social distancing at all times.

► Void businesses / venues which are not implementing Covid safe guidelines.

Public Health chiefs are also advising people to only get tested if they have symptoms of the virus. These are:-

► A high temperature.

► A new or continuous cough.

► A change or loss of sense of smell or taste.

Mayor Joe Anderson said:- "We are in a really critical time and as a City, and a community, we have to do the right thing. Even at this stage we need to take responsibility and we could potentially avoid going in to lockdown or reduce the amount of time we're in lockdown for. The advice is simple to follow and just by washing our hands, keeping our distance, wearing face coverings, and avoiding non-Covid safe businesses, we could turn the tide on the number of positive cases. We all have a part to play here so I urge everyone to work together to protect our family, our friends and our City."

Northern Farming Conference 2020 cancelled

THIS year's Northern Farming Conference has been cancelled as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The 11th Northern Farming Conference was due to be held on Wednesday 4 November 2020 at Hexham Auction Mart, but organisers have taken the decision to cancel the event.

Matthew Curry, chair of the organising committee said:- "As this national crisis seems to re-escalate, and in line with Government's regulations, we feel there is no alternative, but to cancel this year's conference. Some of our confirmed speakers for this year's cancelled event have already committed themselves to take the stage at next year's conference which is scheduled to take place on 3 November 2021, at Hexham Auction Mart."

In 2019 more than 200 delegates attend this popular conference which has become an unmissable event on the farming and landowning calendar. The conference is a joint venture between, Armstrong Watson, Catchment Sensitive Farming, the CLA, Gibson and Co Solicitors, Hexham and Northern Marts, North East Grains, Strutt and Parker, and Womble Bond Dickinson.

Flu Vaccination Campaign for Health and Social Care Workers

CARE England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has welcomed the launch of the flu vaccination campaign for health and social care workers but raised concerns about the delivery mechanisms. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:- "In what is likely to be a difficult winter for the social care sector, given the potential impact of both flu and Covid19, it is imperative that flu vaccinations are rolled out in a timely and efficient manner to health and social care staff and residents to encourage universal uptake. The delivery of the campaign must match the impetus."

With Covid19 still in a high state of transmission it is particularly important for all social care staff and residents to get the flu vaccine this year. The flu vaccination will help stop the spread of flu, which is enormously significant for social care settings as residents are particularly vulnerable to both flu and Covid19.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with the NHS to make the flu vaccine easier to access for social care workers this year. All frontline social care workers should seek to be vaccinated due to their increased risk of catching the flu. The free flu vaccination is the best form of reducing the winter pressures borne by the health and social care sector, whilst also protecting the people cared for, team members, and family and friends.

If you are a social care employer running a local campaign, please visit PHE's Campaign Resource Centre for support in engaging your colleagues; PHE have free print, digital and social campaign materials available. Professor Green continues:- "It is more important than ever this year that the DHSC and NHS work to ensure that flu vaccinations reach the frontline in order to protect both those on the frontline and some of society's most vulnerable. It must now be ensured both social care residents and staff are not only eligible for flu vaccinations, but that they are also readily available and easy to access."

Government "losing control of Coronavirus" says MP

MP Bill Esterson says the Government is:- "rapidly losing control of Coronavirus" as testing capacity was cut in Sefton despite increasing demand. The North West has 25% of the Covid cases nationwide but only 15% of the testing capacity. Additionally, only 8% of tests are now being returned within 24 hours, whereas a few days ago it was over 60%.

Mr Esterson, who is the MP for Sefton Central, said without testing and a quick turnaround in results, the virus could not be isolated and controlled, which would lead to its spread and to loss of lives. He criticised the Government for not building NHS lab capacity sooner instead of relying on private firms who were not up to the job to carry out test processing.

The MP tweeted:- "Only 8% of Covid19 test results are being returned within 24 hours. It was over 60% at the start of September. The Government is rapidly losing control of the crisis."

A follow up tweet read:- "Test appointments have been cut in Sefton because there is no lab capacity to get the results. This is so dangerous. Without tests, there's no tracing. Without tracing there's no isolation by people who may be infected. The Government must use the NHS labs and build capacity."

Constituents have been contacting Mr Esterson to say they have struggled to access tests, being offered Burnley and Doncaster as sites even though there are Drive Through and Walk in Centre, in Southport and Bootle. For large periods of time, no tests have been available to residents in his Sefton Central constituency.

The Chief Executive of Sefton Council, Dwayne Johnson, tweeted yesterday:- "Anticipating more challenges with booking tests in Sefton today; lab capacity? North west has 25% of cases so critical testing is available to our area in support of the NHS, keep our Schools and businesses open and protect vulnerable; working with partners today."

Today he added:- "Testing significantly reduced at Bootle walk in today; but we do have Litherland Drive Through. We have raised this and understand it's pressures in systems, news that Sefton rates are lower, but still rising."

The testing fiasco comes after the World Health Organisation special envoy on Covid19, David Nabarro, told the Foreign Affairs Committee that the situation the UK finds itself in is:- "really embarrassing" and "grotesque."

The WHO expert said the pandemic was "much worse than any science fiction" and that the world was only at the beginning of the "troubles."

He told MPs:- "This is really serious. We're not even in the middle of it yet. The virus is really at the beginning of its troubles throughout our world and I personally believe that it is going to have a really negative impact. None of us find the present situation anything other than really horrible, really grotesque, really embarrassing. It's a terrible situation, a health issue has got so out of control it's knocking the world into, not just a recession, but a huge economic contraction which would probably double the number of poor people, double the number of malnourished, lead to hundreds of millions of small businesses going bankrupt. It's awful. And we really, really are, all of us, deeply saddened and troubled by it."

Alarming, on Monday, WHO's Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that while deaths remain at a relatively low level, the average number of daily cases across Europe is now higher than during the 1st peak of the pandemic.

Mr Esterson said:- "Dr Nabarro's comments have thrown into sharp relief just how badly the Government has managed the pandemic. They are rapidly losing control of Coronavirus which will lead to greater spread and more loss of lives. Dr Nabarro said the current situation could have been avoided had countries invested in pandemic preparedness and paid more attention to emergency alerts made by the WHO in January. This Government failed to invest in lab capacity over the summer months when they had every opportunity to do so and when they knew they had to prepare for the school, colleges and universities going back and for more people going to workplaces. They pumped billions of pounds into private sector companies who did not have the expertise in Public Health and in test analysis. The private sector has failed the country as they were always going to do because this should always have been carried out by the public sector which had lab capacity and expertise, which has not been used. The Government have been trying to use students as cheap labour and have now found that as universities go back they are short staffed. This was always going to happen and the fact the Government did not see it coming shows they do not plan, do not understand Public Health and do not understand the need for the Government to intervene decisively in a crisis, especially in the biggest Public Health and economic crisis in modern history. Getting a grip of this crisis is not only vital for the health of the nation and to save lives, it is also crucial to keeping children in school, ensuring 1 million students can return to their studies and in keeping businesses open. Why didn't the health secretary use the summer to significantly expand NHS lab capacity and is he now going to learn the lessons from this and build up our NHS services?"

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 3,991 cases and the total number now stand at:- 378,219, that includes tests carried out by commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National totals.

The number of Covid19 associated UK fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be 20 according to the Department of Health. The total number of deaths of people who have had a positive test results confirmed by a Public Health or NHS laboratory is:- 41,684.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 901. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 115. Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 141.

In England, there are a total of:- 326,425 confirmed cases. North West total of:- 63,376 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, 3,728 confirmed cases.

136

► Halton, 860 confirmed cases.

► Knowsley, 1,336 confirmed cases.

► Sefton, 1,969 confirmed cases.

► St. Helens, 1,576 confirmed cases

► Wirral, 2,765 confirmed cases.

Colour Key:-

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 are as follows:-

► Blackburn with Darwen, 2,164 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 1,186 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 3,513 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 1,917 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 2,595 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 2,330 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 9,651 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 5,233 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 3,417 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 1,752 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 2,656 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 2,300 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 2,235 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 2,389 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 1,906 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 1,781 confirmed cases

► Wigan, 2,639 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.