Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

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Toxteth road upgrade to start on Monday

WORK gets under way on a ₤1.3 million scheme to improve a key route in Toxteth as part of Liverpool City Council’s Better Roads programme. The improvements on Kingsley Road; which links Upper Parliament Street and Princes Avenue; will see resurfacing, new drainage, kerbs and pavements, the installation of cycle lanes plus the relocation of bus stops.

Kings Construction will start work, on Monday, 24 August 2020, on the West bound carriageway heading towards Upper Parliament Street; near Kingsley Community Primary School; before moving to the East bound side, heading to Princes Avenue, at a later date.

Kingsley Road will become one way, with traffic flowing in the direction of Princes Avenue from Upper Parliament Street. However, 2 way pop up cycle lanes and pedestrian access will be maintained during the improvements.

It comes as work nears completion on a ₤4 million scheme to upgrade nearby Princes Avenue and Princes Road, including the installation of a 1km cycle lane, event space and tree planting in the central reservation.

More than ₤100 million of road improvement work is currently on site across Liverpool; the highest total ever; including improvements to The Strand, Edge Lane and Walton Lane.

Cabinet member for highways and regeneration, Cllr Sharon Connor said:- "We know that highways improvements cause disruption but we absolutely have to catch up with long overdue repairs and deliver a network that is of a high quality and supports our economy. This project on Kingsley Road will complement the improvements we have already made on neighbouring Princes Road and Avenue and Upper Parliament Street, creating a smooth flow for traffic and permanent cycle lanes. The current volume of roadworks across the city is unprecedented, but it is needed and we are committed to doing all we can to carry out the work in such a way that minimises disruption. An added bonus for the economy is that much of this investment is going to Liverpool contractors, supporting the local supply chain and hundreds of jobs; which has never been more important given the current economic crisis."

The latest information about the city’s road improvements programme can be found at:- Liverpool.Gov.UK/Betterroads.

Nearly 180 operations to remove rotten teeth in children a day

LATEST figures showing nearly 45,000 Hospital operations to remove rotten teeth in children and teenagers; equating to 177 a day; have led Councils to warn of a potential post Coronavirus surge of dental treatments following the lifting of lockdown.

The Local Government Association, which represents Councils, says the stark numbers highlight the dangers of too much sugary food and drink in youngsters' diets, as well as poor oral hygiene, which is likely to have worsened during the last few months, while children and teenagers have been stuck indoors.

There were 44,685 extractions of multiple teeth in under 18's in England in 2018/19 at a cost of ₤41.5 million, according to latest NHS spending data. This is equal to 177 per working day, an increase of 17% compared to the 38,208 extractions in 2012/13, which cost ₤27.4 million

The vast majority of these extractions are due to tooth decay. The severity of the tooth decay means that the treatment has to be undertaken in a Hospital under general anaesthetic, rather than a Dentist. Councils, which have responsibility for public health, are now concerned that some children and young people who have been at home for months during lockdown could be risking their oral health by snacking on sugary food and drink.

Early years settings including Nerseries and Schools closures have also led to the loss of supervised brushing time and fewer opportunities to educate young children and parents about good oral health. Councils, Schools and other educational settings are keen to restart supervised brushing schemes and scale up their oral health work, to avoid an increase in tooth decay and extractions, but need the additional funding and capacity to help do so.

Previous public health research has revealed about 23% of 5 year olds in 2019 have had dental decay, while children from more deprived areas, 34% are more than twice as likely to have dental decay compared to those from less deprived areas, 14%.

Meanwhile 70% of children under 5 are also reporting more snacking in the household during the lockdown, more than double compared with those who are not living with children, with snacking also risen among families with younger children.

The LGA is calling for Councils' prevention efforts to be fully funded to help keep children's teeth healthy, including reversing a reduction of more than ₤700 million in the public health grant to Councils between 2015/16 and 2019/20. The public health grant to Councils should also be increased to at least ₤3.9 billion a year by 2024/25, so it matches the growth in overall NHS funding, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, said:- "These latest figures demonstrate the damage which can be done to young people's teeth through too much sugar intake. The fact that, due to the severity of the decay, 177 operations a day to remove multiple teeth in children and teenagers have to be done in a Hospital is concerning and also adds to current pressures on the NHS. We need to do all we can to reduce how much sugar our children eat and drink, including investing in oral health education, so that everyone understands the impact of sugar on teeth and the importance of a good oral hygiene regime. Untreated dental care remains 1 of the most prevalent diseases affecting children and young people's ability to:- speak, eat, play and socialise."

Calculation of 177 operations a day based on dividing 44,685 by number of working days in 2018/19, which was 253. Elective procedures to remove teeth in Hospitals almost invariably take place on working days.

Total UK cases COVID-19 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 1,288 cases and the total number now stands at 324,601, 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 18 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 41,423.

The number of COVID-19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 834. The current number of COVID-19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 72. Daily number of COVID-19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 97.

In England, there are a total of 280,519 confirmed cases. North West - total of 51,153 confirmed cases:-.

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

► Liverpool, 2,770 confirmed cases.

► Halton, 731 confirmed cases.

► Knowsley, 1,065 confirmed cases.

► Sefton, 1,646 confirmed cases.

► St. Helens, 1,262 confirmed cases

► Wirral, 2,112 confirmed cases.

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

► Blackburn with Darwen, 1,751 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 1,085 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 2,198 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 1,514 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 2,343 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 2,108 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 7,924 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 4,005 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 2,741 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 1,382 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 2,150 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 1,713 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 1,944 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 1,830 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 1,597 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 1,396 confirmed cases

► Wigan, 2,272 confirmed cases

Daily reported COVID deaths are now measured across the UK as deaths that occurred within 28 days of the 1st laboratory confirmed positive COVID test.

Areas within England which are currently in Lockdown or have Enhanced Restrictions imposed on them:-

West Yorkshire...

► Bradford
► Calderdale
► Kirklees

Lancashire...

► Blackburn with Darwen
► Burnley
► Hyndburn
► Pendle
► Rossendale

Greater Manchester...

► City of Manchester
► Trafford
► Stockport
► Oldham
► Bury
► Wigan
► Bolton
► Tameside
► Rochdale
► Salford

Targeted action to control Covid19 cases through further intervention in:-

► Oldham
► Blackburn
► Parts of Pendle

Current measures will be released in:-

► Wigan
► Rossendale
► Darwen

Preston City Council said:- "As restrictions continue in Preston, it's important we all help stop the spread of Coronavirus:- 1. Wash hands regularly. 2. Wear a mask in enclosed public spaces. 3. Give each other space. 4. Get tested, with or without symptoms."

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