Emergancy COVID-19 Notices for the Liverpool City Region - 2020-04-24

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DAILY EMERGENCY COVID-19 NEWS
... Important Daily Notices ...

AS This page is to place quick update important notices that are being sent to us from Government and other organisations over the Coronavirus Emergency affecting our country (UK)...  Please remember that the information changes quickly, so always check to see what time and when the last post was made.  We will update as and when we can...  Users of our Formby Reporter's Free Email Service will get most updates 1st and then they will be added on here as soon as we can...  If you have any updates to send in or any views on the posts on here, please email us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.

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This page last updated on 24 April 2020


Local Students Saving Lives on the front line

HUGH Baird College's Health, Social Care, Nursing and Dental students have been working tirelessly to help support the healthcare industry, struggling with the current Covid-19 outbreak across the City Region, at various Hospitals, Care Homes, supported living accommodation and dentist practices.

Jean Cooney, Hugh Baird College Level 3 Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprentice, said:- "I am a Senior Healthcare Support Worker at Liverpool Royal Hospital's A&E department. In this current pandemic, being part of the NHS is hard work. We are faced with long, hot and uncomfortable days, looking after some of the sickest patients. Although it's tough, this is the reason why I embarked on a career in the healthcare industry, to save lives. We will fight this and come out stronger than ever!"

Confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been rising sharply in Liverpool each day for a sustained period now. Sadly, this suggests that the City could be heading for a very difficult time in the coming days and weeks; because the low testing rates mean those with confirmed cases are largely so ill that they have been forced into Hospital.

Annette Pollitt, Learning and Development Lead at Liverpool University Hospitals, said:- "We are very proud to have such inspirational and dedicated students, who are supporting the healthcare workforce and providing exceptional care to all patients. The skills and knowledge that the students are currently learning will be invaluable for their career ahead. Thank you for your commitment, compassion and care to patients and staff. Keep up the fantastic work and keep safe."

Students from across the department have increased their working hours to help support employers with the Covid-19 outbreak. Some students have even had to undertake further training to help patients who need ventilation support.

Debbie Stock, Hugh Baird College's Health and Care Delivery Co-Ordinator, said:- "A big thank you to all of our students for going above and beyond their current practices, I am blown away by the support I have witnessed our students give to not only their patience's, but also the support they have given each other during this pandemic."

All students have proven to go above and beyond, putting the lives of patients before themselves by working overtime and in some cases, leaving their families for up to 12 weeks to stay in their places of work to ensure they can care for the needs of others.

Sherin Swain, Hugh Baird College Level 3 Health and Social Care student, said:- "It's been a really tough couple of weeks as a Care Assistant in Walton Manor Residential and Nursing Home. We are not only carers, we are the friends and family to the residents who can no longer see their loved ones. After gaining permission, I recently used my phone to Face Time 1 of my resident's family members and the smile on both their faces reminded me; it's all worthwhile."

Some of the College's students, who were initially on volunteer placements, have now successfully achieved full time employment in order to help support local healthcare providers such as, Care Homes and assisted living accommodation.

Further examples of the College's Health, Social Care, Nursing and Dental hero students:-

Liam Castell, Hugh Baird College Nurse Cadet student; Liam joined the College from Abbots Lea School in 2018. He fully embraced the challenges of ward rotations in his 1st year and demonstrated a willingness to learn.

During the 2nd year of his Nurse Cadet programme at the College, Liam joined the Nurse bank team and has been covering shifts on wards and the A&E department at Aintree University Hospital. Last weekend, Liam completed his 1st night shift which was a difficult but rewarding experience.

Liam is on target to exceed his minimum target grade and finish with an overall A*, he has also successfully been offered a place at Edge Hill University to study Adult Nursing.

Poppy McDonald, Hugh Baird College Nurse Cadet student; Poppy was a late addition to the College's Nurse Cadet programme. After taking a year out of education to decide her pathway, she successfully applied to join the College and is really enjoying her new studies and the work experience element of the programme.

Poppy, like Liam, has also joined the Nurse bank team and was only too happy to take on additional shifts to help and support those in need during this pandemic.

Megan Nicholas, Hugh Baird College Level 3 Health and Social Care student; Megan works in a local Care Home, she is incredibly passionate about her role and the people she cares for. She has been on 'lock down' staying in the Care Home with the Covid-19 outbreak, due to the vulnerable nature of those she cares for and those she has at home.

Megan joined the College as part of the College's 14 to 16 Department. Following her completion, Megan enrolled onto the College's Level 2 Health and Social Care course and then further progressed onto the Level 3 course. Megan has received offers from Huddersfield University and Edge Hill University for Child Nursing.

Megan, alongside the rest of the students, are still checking in with their tutors via Teams and keeping on top of their college work, even in these difficult times.

Stephanie Butler, Hugh Baird College's Course Leader for Health and Social Care, said:- "As a team of lecturers, we are immensely proud of all of our Health, Social Care, Nursing and Dental students, and have the up most admiration for them working at this critical time. Our students, whilst studying a full academic timetable, are now working within vital community and NHS roles within our local area, supporting those who are most vulnerable. They are significantly improving the lives of others. These students are young heroes, our health care professionals of the future who have put others needs before their own. They have shown professionalism, courage and selflessness. We are overwhelmed at how they have stepped up to the current challenge."

Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives!


Hospice hosts 1st ever Virtual Ladies Day

ST Joseph's Hospice was due to host its annual Spring Ladies Day. at Formby Hall. on Sunday, 19 April 2020, 1 of the biggest events in its fundraising calendar. Due to the Coronavirus crisis and current social distancing measures, the event was cancelled last month, but in order to mark the occasion, engage with valued Hospice supporters and attempt to raise some money along the way, the Hospice's fundraising team decided to host its 1st ever Virtual Ladies Day. Maxine Armstrong, head of fundraising, said:- "We had to cancel our Spring Ladies Day when the Coronavirus outbreak began and social distancing measures came in. However, as the day of the event approached, we decided that we couldn't let the day go by without making something of it. It was also a great opportunity to test out new technologies that we hadn't used before. We contacted all the performers who were due to take part in the event and, thankfully, they all agreed to record a mini performance from their own homes. We had two fantastic singers, Scott Chapman and Samantha Leslie, and a brilliant magician, Dan Misson. We also held a raffle from the beautiful Hospice grounds and broadcasted everything through Facebook Live."

The virtual event was a brilliant success raising over ₤1,000 for the Hospice with 4.6k views and hundreds of people engaging with the event through likes and comments. Hospice fundraiser, Zoë Furnivall, added:- "We'd like to thank everyone for supporting us on Sunday. This was something we had never done before but it was a fantastic way to engage with a really important group of our long term supporters and the response we had was incredible. Our supporters really got in to the spirit of it; they even got dressed up and danced around their gardens enjoying a glass or two of bubbles. It just goes to show that there is still so much support out there and, if anything, the current challenges are bringing people together in new ways. As a fundraising team, it's really important that we continue to engage with our supporters as they are so important to the Hospice. We have launched lots of new ways for our supporters to get involved and show their support during these difficult times, including some fantastic new virtual events. Please take a look at our website and click on fundraising for more details or give us a call on 0151 932 6044 or email:- Fundraising@Jospice.Org.UK."


Charity's free Activity Packs will help children to get thinking, moving and creative

CAUDWELL Children, the national charity that provides practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families, has produced a unique collection of FREE weekly Activity Packs to get children and young people thinking, moving, and creative during the Coronavirus lock down.

The packs, developed in response to the feedback the charity has received from the families that it supports, have been designed with disabled children in mind.

However, whilst many of the activities have been created for children between the ages of 4 and 12, the team at Caudwell Children are keen to stress that some of the activities are suitable for older children and even adults.

"Whilst the activities are disability friendly they are also accessible and inclusive to children of all abilities and ages. The packs, which will be emailed to subscribers on a weekly basis, have been designed in collaboration with our Clinical and Family Service teams to meet the needs of a large range of children and young people." s
aid Mark Smith, Director of Marketing and Communications at Caudwell Children.

Because of their experience with disabled children, 78% of whom do not get involved with activities outside the home, Caudwell Children is uniquely placed to understand the issues around social isolation.

The charity has been supporting disabled children and their families for over 20 years and this has helped them to appreciate the feelings of lethargy, boredom, and restlessness that can arise out of a long periods of isolation.

"We wanted to create a set of packs that would entertain and stimulate children. We know how tensions can rise being locked in a confined space for weeks on end and we wanted to provide a simple solution for parents. We have used our knowledge of what disabled families and their children need to create packs that offer a holistic experience, which recognises the importance of stimulating your mind, body and emotions."
continued Mr Smith.

The charity has split the packs into 3 distinct collections...

Get Thinking, a series of learning exercises such as word searches, puzzles and counting games...

Get Moving, physical activities such as scavenger hunts and insect hunts...

Get Creative, arts and craft activities such as colouring, painting and decorating...

Aware of the financial and technological pressures on families during the unprecedented health crisis, the charity has endeavoured to create activities that are affordable and easy to complete. As Mr Smith explained:- "With the financial challenges of lock-down some families may not want to spend money on stocks of paper, so many of the activities don't require you to print off the activity sheets. For example you can play spot the difference, find 10 things in your home beginning with the letter A and find 10 things in your home that are blue, without using any paper. Whilst our physical activities, such as a wheelchair treasure hunt, indoor aerobics and ball catching simply require participation."

The activities will also encourage children to spend less time on their mobile devices and each activity will be able to completed between 5 to 60 minutes.

"We think that the full collection of activities that we will distribute in the coming weeks will be the most comprehensive set of activity material's ever released for disabled children. And I would ask children who complete an activity sheet to send them to us so that we can display them on our online gallery."
continued Mr Smith.

You can subscribe to receive Caudwell Children's Activity Packs through the website. You can also submit your completed activity sheet by emailing them at:- Digital@CaudwellChildren.Com.


NHS Foundation Trust support for domestic violence victims

THE service operated by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is reminding people that they don't have to wait until they're in an emergency situation to get help. The helpline is available for people who need support for themselves or advice about a friend of family member they may be worried about.

Lorraine Khalaf, Service Manager at the Wellbeing and Mental Health Helping and Texting Service said:- "This is a difficult time for adults who are spending extra time indoors due to social distancing measures but experiencing some form of abuse at home. There are many signs of domestic abuse all related to having control over a person such as making unreasonable demands, isolating someone from friends or family members and making threats. The behaviours would not always be classed as violent and it's not always easy to spot the signs or recognise when to get help and support. There's not a single person out there who should go through it alone; we are here to help and hope that the texting service in particular means that people can make contact discreetly when they're in need of some support or advice."

The helpline added a texting service in September last year for people to make contact without speaking and has more recently extended its opening hours to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The helpline can be contacted on:- 0800 915 4640 or by texting:- 'hello' to:- 07860 022846.


Merseyside councils back Care Workers v COVID-19 campaign

MERSEYSIDE Councils back Care Workers v COVID-19 campaign after hundreds of local carers share their care work Coronavirus horror stories. Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, Halton and Sefton's Local Authorities have thrown their support behind care workers who are on the frontline of the fight to stop the spread of Coronavirus in Merseyside. Liverpool City Council and Knowsley Council have both announced that they will pour money into local care services, (₤6m and ₤2m respectively) in order to ensure that care workers who need to self isolate, shield or take days off sick due to COVID-19 will be paid full normal pay, rather than Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of ₤95 per week. Meanwhile, Halton and Sefton Councils have both signed up to UNISON's Care Workers vs COVID-19 pledge, committing them to protect the health, pay and employment of care workers, whilst Wirral Council have committed to give local care workers a pay rise to the real Living Wage of at least ₤9.30 per hour. The pledges come a week after University of Kent Law School released a report based on the views of 2600 care workers from the North West who responded to a UNISON survey. More than 400 Merseyside based carers responded to the union survey. A large majority of the care workers said that their employers were not doing enough to keep them and the people they care for safe. The key issues facing care workers in the North West are: a severe lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and an inability to self isolate if necessary due to a lack of sick pay which puts both service users and care workers at risk.

The most widespread concern reported by survey respondents across all care settings was a lack of PPE. 1 care worker said:- "When I enquired 3 weeks ago about extra PPE [the manager] laughed and told me it's not going to be like Italy, and I was scaremongering. Then she was unable to get enough PPE for all staff, despite knowing I have COPD, I wasn't offered any."

Worryingly, another Merseyside based carer wrote:- "They have not provided PPE in our place of work, we have no sanitizer, no hand wash, no aprons or masks."

Whilst 1 care worker from Knowsley said:- "We're having to justify why we need a mask or a new box of gloves. The supply just isn't there but if I feel I or one of my clients is at risk then I feel I have to right to request adequate PPE. The company line is if the client isn't displaying symptoms you don't need a mask. Which I understand but once the symptoms appear it's too late for us."

Another huge issue for care workers who completed the survey was the fear that they would be unable to self isolate due to COVID-19 as a result of the lack of comprehensive sick pay schemes in the sector, which could put vulnerable staff and service users at risk if unwell carers continued to attend work. 8 out of 10 care workers surveyed thought they will not be paid their normal wages if they have to self isolate due to COVID-19. The report recommends that UK Government act urgently to ensure that care workers receive their normal wage incomes when in self isolation.

One Merseyside based carer summed up the issue:- "I am self isolating. I am 63, I have mild asthma that does not put me on the government 'danger' list but is enough to concern me. I am shielding 2 people with very compromised health. I have requested furlough or sick pay from my employer and they have refused both. I am entirely without support."

Another local care worker explained:- "People are worried about staying off through no fault of their own and not getting their full pay, including myself. I don't want to be off work. but I have to think of myself, as I'm high risk and my renal team have told me to self isolate for 12 weeks up to now I'm still working."

Liverpool City Council and Knowsley Council have now taken this issue into their own hands by guaranteeing sick pay for local care workers.

UNISON North West regional organiser Dan Smith said:- "The responses of thousands of North West care workers to our survey shows that care workers across the region are not being supported to stop the spread of Coronavirus. Applause, badges and plaudits mean nothing if care workers are unable to do their jobs without putting their own life and the lives of their service users at risk. That's why we wholeheartedly commend Liverpool City Council and Knowsley Council's move to ensure that care workers in their area are able to protect themselves and those they care for by self isolating if necessary, without fear of struggling to get by on the Government's paltry SSP payments. And Wirral Council's step to give their care workers a pay rise is admirable our caring heroes are worth every penny. These ground breaking interventions by Councils across Merseyside show that care workers' fates are not just in our incompetent Government's hands Local Authorities can, and must step in to protect the care workers who protect us all from this deadly virus. We look forward to working with Sefton and Halton Councils who have signed our Care Workers v COVID-19 pledge, in order to secure concrete commitments for local care workers and service users. We call on all Councils across the North West to deliver for care workers in their areas and protect care workers, their families and those they care for by signing the Care Workers v COVID-19 pledge."


Total UK cases COVID-19 cases - update for Liverpool City Region and surroundings

THE latest UK COVID-19 Hospital fatalities rose by 684 to a total of 19,506 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 deaths. The number of COVID-19 infections has risen by 5,386, to 143,464, according to the UK's Department of Health. In England, we had a total of 105,225 laboratory confirmed cases, with the North West now having a total of 16,252 confirmed cases. Current the number of confirmed cases within the following Local Authorities, in and around the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-

► Liverpool, 1,257 confirmed cases.

► Sefton, 724 confirmed cases.

► Wirral, 877 confirmed cases.

► St. Helens, 556 confirmed cases.

► Halton, 293 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 2,381 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 665 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 702 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 951 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 717 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 525 confirmed cases.

► Wigan, 529 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 643 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 382 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 382 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 407 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 529 confirmed cases.

► Blackburn with Darwen, 265 confirmed cases.

Please not that these totals of all cases, that includes past cases and current cases. These stats are according to Public Health England as of 24/04/2020. Last updated 2:24pm GMT.


PLEASE ALSO SEE OUR WEEKLY EDITION... Click here to see it!

Our archived COVID-19 News Update pages:-

Week 1

22 March 2020

21 March 2020

20 March 2020

19 March 2020


18 March 2020

17 March 2020

Week 2

29 March 2020

28 March 2020

27 March 2020

26 March 2020

25 March 2020

24 March 2020

23 March 2020

Week 3

05 April 2020

04 April 2020

03 April 2020

02 April 2020

01 April 2020

31 March 2020

30 March 2020

Week 4

12 April 2020

11 April 2020

10 April 2020

09 April 2020

08 April 2020

07 April 2020

06 April 2020
 

Week 5

19 April 2020

18 April 2020

17 April 2020

16 April 2020

15 April 2020

14 April 2020

13 April 2020

Week 6

24 April 2020

23 April 2020

22 April 2020

21 April 2020

20 April 2020

PLEASE ALSO SEE OUR WEEKLY EDITION...
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