Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

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London and South East placed into new Tier 4

THE Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put millions into a new Tier 4. The new Tier covers London and South East England, as concerns grow over a new mutant Covid19 strain which spreads more rapidly. The rest of England will also see the Christmas "bubble" policy; allowing up to 3 household to meet up over the holiday period; severely curtailed, applying on Christmas Day only. People in Level 4 areas must stay at home, except for very limited purposes people must not visit other households, or meet other people they do not live with many types of businesses are required to close Restrictions were to be eased from 23 December to 28 December 2020, but now people may only bubble up on Christmas Day, 25 December 2020. The Alert Level 4, within Wales, has been brought forward by 6 days. International travel for those in Tier 4 has been banned unless essential. All Regions still in Tiers 3, 2, & 1, should only travel into another tier unless it is absolutely necessary that they have to that Tier.

Sefton is asking its residents to:- 'Get Tested'

SEFTON residents with NO Coronavirus symptoms can now find details of the Borough's SMART test sites on a live map via:-Sefton.Gov.UK/Testing. As well as showing the precise location of the Bootle Leisure Centre, Southport Splash World and Aintree Racecourse sites, the NHS Find a Test Centre map also gives an indication of how busy they are and the likely waiting time. At the moment, they are all showing green with a waiting time of fewer than 15 minutes. but if they get busier, Sefton Council will update the map to help people make a choice. Each site is open from 9 am to 6 pm, every day, apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Monday, 28 December 2020, and New Year's Day. No appointments ARE necessary so people can just turn up. SMART tests identify if people have Covid19, but don't know it because they don't have symptoms. Results take just 30 minutes to come through. Sefton Council's Director of Public Health Margaret Jones has described getting a SMART test before Christmas as a way to reduce the chance of passing on the Covid19 virus to relations who may be vulnerable to what is still a dangerous virus over Christmas. She said:- "I understand why people might be reluctant to get a test because a positive result, but remember that you will have to live with the possibly devastating effects of knowing you have given Covid19 to an elderly or vulnerable relative for whom infection could be very serious and even life threatening. With the case numbers going up in most of the UK, it is even more important now than ever to get a test." Also, please remember that people in Level 4 areas must stay at home, except for very limited purposes people must not visit other households, or meet other people they do not live with. This means they must not travel to the Liverpool City Region you to them! Also, Liverpool City Region and other areas in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3, should note that the Christmas "bubble" policy, that would have allowed up to 3 household to meet up over the holiday period, has been severely curtailed, with it now only applying on Christmas Day!

Combined Authority announces ₤2.8m further funding for Kirkby to create 200 jobs

SEFTON Central MP Bill Esterson MP has spoken out at an appeal hearing about the planning application for the building of 841 homes on land East of Maghull. The MP has reported having said that the approach being proposed by the developers threatened:- "years of disruption" for local residents due to the route the site traffic would take around the residential streets of Maghull or the country lanes of Melling. Mr Esterson told the Planning Inspector, at a hearing on 17 December 2020, that a "haul road" should be built to take traffic directly to the site from the M58 Junction 1. The land East of Maghull has been earmarked for more than 1,600 new homes, however, the expanse of land alongside the M58, bounded by School Lane and Poverty Lane, is split into 2 separate applications. The M58 Junction is at the North of the site. The hearing considered land to the South of the site. Persimmon and Countryside Homes appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to grant permission to build the homes after "non-determination" by Sefton Council. The Council's planning committee had deferred the application earlier in the year due to concerns about the movement of site traffic around Maghull and Melling in order to get to the South of the site.

Mr Esterson said:- "The site is split in two and once 249 homes are built on either the north or south the developers have to build a spine road, or haul road, through the site. But people living in Maghull think the road should be built now and they are right. The developer is going to make a huge profit on this site and they should be doing everything they can to reduce the impact on residents, some of whom they will want to sell to once the houses are built. A haul road would take traffic directly from the M58 J1 across the site which would massively ease the emissions and congestion the building work will produce if residential roads are used. I told the Inspector that it could be years of disruption for people living near the site, and there is a school very nearby as well. I have also written to the developers to ask that they build the road before any houses. I have consistently said that no development should occur on this site until the haul road is agreed upon. The haul road would go through the neighbouring site, which is controlled by a different landowner. This road will be built eventually so these two developers need to work together to deliver this road before any of the construction starts. The alternative is unpalatable; thousands of vehicle journeys along with country or residential roads in Maghull or Melling. Given the size of the site and the impact of construction, I would expect the developers to minimize the impact on the existing community of construction traffic. The developer consulted on 6 options and the preferred option of local residents, Councillors and myself was a haul road through the north of the site, not the use of Melling's country lanes, or Eastway, Poverty Lane, or Foxhouse Lane, in Maghull. Any development should work for the benefit of the people of Maghull, not just for the benefit of the developers. The haul road is the only viable option and the landowners need to show they can work together to deliver it. All the other options risk years of disruption for local residents. If the developers can't deliver this now, how are they going to deliver the flood mitigation measures and the other infrastructure schemes such as the park? This road will have to be delivered once 249 houses are built on either site so why don't they just get on with it. With borrowing so cheap, this is a viable option for such a financially successful company. The developer said at the planning hearing that it was unreasonable for them to be expected to build the haul road first. I suspect that most residents would tell the developer it is unreasonable not to build the road 1st. Sefton planning committee raised concerns about the traffic management plan and I fully back them with regards to their concern for how the site traffic will access the development. These homes should be primarily for the local community, with starter homes and affordable homes as a priority. We need starter homes that are of good quality, are affordable for our young people and families. There have been widespread concerns in Maghull about the development. The developers must address those concerns. The developers will make a lot of money out of Maghull. The least they can do is to behave in a reasonable manner. Persimmon says that they take their responsibilities seriously during construction. Here is their chance to prove that they mean what they say. They should accept that a haul road must be built before the construction of the homes or the rest of the development is started."

The planning appeal judgment is expected in the new year.

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:- 27,052 cases and the total number now stand at:- 2,004,219 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:- 534, 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:- 67,075, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 76,287.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 18,771. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 1,364 Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 1,907.

In England, there are a total of:- 1,711,738 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 335,319 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

Tier 2

Liverpool City Region

► Liverpool, 25,494 confirmed cases.
104

► Halton, 5,155 confirmed cases.
30

► Knowsley, 8,256 confirmed cases. 36

► Sefton, 11,136 confirmed cases.
62

► St. Helens, 8,247 confirmed case.
51

► Wirral, 10,720 confirmed cases.

68

Colour Key:- 0 1 to 10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to100 101 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, 10,664 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 5,785 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 16,286 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 10,804 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 10,335 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 10,241 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 53,736 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 33,682 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 15,854 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 8,019 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 13,861 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 14,375 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 11,383 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 11,085 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 9,418 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 9,085 confirmed cases.

► Wigan, 18,054 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:- 1.1 to 1.2 with a daily infection growth rate range of:- +1% to +4% as of 18 December 2020. .