Councils warn of service disruption following self isolation exemptions guidance

ON the publication of Government guidance on exemptions from self isolation for critical workers, Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:- "Councils continue to work hard to try and keep services running as best as possible, while protecting the health and wellbeing of our workforce. However, the large numbers of close contacts being required to self isolate is having an impact on some Council services due to staff shortages. Directors of public health, working in Councils, are already under huge pressure as a result of the need to sign off on self isolation exemptions for social care staff as well as many daily enquiries from other employers in their local area who believe their staff should be exempt. Clarity is urgently needed about what their role will be with regards to the application of exemptions locally while messaging from the Government must be crystal clear to avoid raising unrealistic expectations. The exemption approval process must also be quick and clear to understand. While we continue to discuss with Government the implications of this guidance for Local Government, it appears it will not help alleviate the pressure on some important; albeit noncritical; local services. Residents will need to bear with us if they experience disruption to some services, if Councils are forced to prioritise services that protect the most vulnerable in their communities."

Sefton Council welcomes Government's announcement that local Government employees can carry on working after being pinged by the Covid app

SEFTON Council Leader Cllr Ian Maher has welcomed the Government's announcement that Local Government employees will be among those who can carry on working after being pinged by the Covid app, as long as they take daily tests. Cllr Ian Maher said:- "Like companies and organisations across the country, Sefton Council is feeling the effects of the current:- 'Pingdemic' which is seeing thousands of people being told to isolate through the NHS Covid app. With the recent growth in numbers of people infected because of the Coronavirus Delta variant, many of the Council's staff are currently isolating, which is continuing to have an effect on frontline services. With the Government finally announcing the list of those exempt from isolation, we can hopefully start to recover, although we are still waiting to hear the details of what roles are covered."

The Government has said that exemptions will only apply to workers who are fully vaccinated and then, 14 days after their 2nd Coronavirus jab. They will apply until Monday, 16 August 2021, when wider relaxations for fully vaccinated people are expected. Last night's announcement by the Government warned:- "this is not a blanket exemption for all workers in a sector." The exemptions "will not cover all or in most cases even the majority of workers in critical sectors" and only apply to those whose employer has received a letter on which they are is listed by name. Cllr Ian Maher said:- "Despite the recent lifting of Covid restrictions by the Government, the Delta variant has meant numbers of cases have been rising sharply, in Sefton, on Merseyside and across the country. As with other sectors such as transport and supermarkets and food production, Councils are being hit by the large numbers of people having to isolate and I am afraid this inevitably means services will be affected. Sefton Council employees have been working to support and protect our communities, our businesses and our vulnerable throughout the Pandemic. Some have been able to continue working mainly from home while others have carried on as well providing frontline service such as:- bin collections, social services, care work and the protection of our unique environment. And teachers and other staff have been in Sefton's schools throughout the Pandemic for pupils who were unable to stay at home. Some staff have been temporarily transferred to other teams because they have been unable to carry on with their regular jobs due to closures. Instead they have worked in areas such as burials and cremations to ensure the continuation of those key services. I can assure Sefton's residents, businesses and visitors that the Council will continue to deliver the services they rely on even though they may, temporarily, not be at the same high standards they quite rightly expect."

Cllr Maher went on to say that while the number of employees being told to isolate through the Covid app was affecting Council services, they were doing:- 'the right thing' by following the guidance.

Cllr Maher continued:- "For those of us not covered by these new exemptions it is vital that if we are pinged or contacted by test and trace, we continue to self isolate. Like getting both vaccination jabs and continuing to take regular tests if you've not got symptoms, isolating when we're told to, is vital to preventing the further spread of Covid in this latest peak of infections. And I have been pleased to see that, while the Government has removed most restrictions, many people across Sefton are continuing to show care and consideration for each other by wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and, I hope, washing their hands frequently and thoroughly."

Bill Esterson MP speaks about devastation of knife crime during a House of Commons debate

ON Thursday, 22 July 2021, Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson spoke in a debate on tackling knife crime in the House of Commons. During the debate, he mentioned four victims of knife crime, all from Crosby, in Merseyside. They were 21 year old Colin McGinty, who was murdered in 2001, 21 year old Sam Cook, who was stabbed through the heart while celebrating his 21st birthday in 2017, and Michael Callaghan and his friend Jacob Billington who were both stabbed in Birmingham City Centre last year. Michael was in a coma and is making a slow recovery 10 months later, while Jacob died at the scene.

Bill Esterson said in his speech:- "That is the human side, both for the person who dies and for their families and loved ones left behind. We can only imagine the devastation caused to the families of knife victims. The lives of Sam, Jacob and Colin all ended in violence, and Michael's life changed forever."

Mr Esterson then mentioned the Liverpool KnifeSavers project, set up by Laura Hughes, the sister of Colin McGinty:- "Laura and Colin's parents want bleed control kits to be available in public places so that more people can be saved if they are stabbed. Laura is asking for funding for the kits. They were designed by Liverpool surgeon Nikhil Misra as part of the Liverpool KnifeSavers project, and they cost about ₤95 each. Laura is looking for places to put the kits, which can be used to reduce bleeding while waiting for an Ambulance or Paramedic. They can of course be applied to any situation where someone is bleeding heavily for example, a road traffic accident. It is very similar to battlefield first aid and it uses the same principles, with gauze and shellfish enzymes that help blood clotting."

Mr Esterson also praised the work of newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell, and criticised cuts in funding from the Conservative Government:- "I fully support the Merseyside Police and crime commissioner, Emily Spurrell, in her work. She is reversing some of the significant cuts in Police numbers, such as the 1,500 Police who have gone in Merseyside since 2010. She is working with partners across all those sectors, building alternatives to crime for young people. Emily Spurrell and Sefton Council for Voluntary Service need help from the Government, because, as I alluded to before, funding is often too short term. In order to have those resources, the cuts made since 2010 have to be addressed. The cuts have to be reversed; that is true for the Police and for Local Government, as well as for grants in the voluntary sector. Those cuts have made it much harder to tackle the causes of knife crime, as well as knife crime itself."

Finishing his speech, Mr Esterson spoke about the devastation of knife crime:- "The consequences and the human side of knife crime are utterly devastating. Laura does not know whether a bleed control kit could have saved Colin's life� or the thousands of lives of knife victims across our country, but she knows that bleed kits would have given them a better chance, had the kits been available."

Councils warn of service disruption following self isolation exemptions guidance

Sefton Council welcomes Government's announcement that local Government employees can carry on working after being pinged by the Covid app

Bill Esterson MP speaks about devastation of knife crime during a House of Commons debate

Total UK cases Covid19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region