Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates - 2020-11-25

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Liverpool City Region Covid19 Updates
... and Important Emergency Notices ...

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This page last updated on 25 November 2020


LGA responds to additional Spending Review funding for road repairs

COMMENTING on the Government's ₤1.6 billion for local road repairs, Cllr David Renard, Transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association said:- "Fixing our roads is a top priority for councils, who fix a pothole every 21 seconds. Councils have long asked for an infrastructure strategy to help address a nearly ₤11 billion backlog in local road repairs as well as help to invest in other important infrastructure in their communities. This new investment is good news and will help councils to support their communities and help tackle our local road repairs backlog. Going forward, it is important for councils to have more long term certainty of funding support so they can make the most of this new infrastructure strategy."


Sefton Council is supporting Bates Farms and Dairy Ltd to expand its business operations in Southport's Birkdale area

SUBJECT to the Company obtaining planning permission, the Council will sell 0.75 acres of its freehold land at Broome Road to the Company. This will enable Bates' to meet its need to create a larger yard for storage and existing delivery vehicles. Cllr Marion Atkinson Sefton Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills said:- "By making this land available to Bates Dairy, the Council would be supporting the growth of a family firm that has been in Southport for over 80 years and which provides a milk delivery service to thousands of local people, while providing 104 jobs within the local community. The ability to expand on the site will help secure local employer Bates' future in the town and will mean the Company can invest and grow. Plus, the extra space will mean fewer on site vehicle movements, which will benefit local residents."

Part of a 22 acre, Council owned site at former Isle of Wight Farm, the land is identified in the Local Plan as a possible area for housing. Bates' proposals for a small part of that area include the erection of a single storey unit. Requirements for the development would include the Dairy erecting acoustic fencing and plans to deal with any resulting increase in surface water run off. Local residents would have an opportunity to have their say on the proposed expansion through the Council's planning application process.


LGA responds to Spending Review Social Care and public health announcements

RESPONDING to announcements about adult Social Care and public health in today’s Spending Review, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:- “The Coronavirus crisis has demonstrated the crucial value of councils’ adult Social Care and public health services. Extra funding for children’s and adult Social Care will help address some short-term pressures, but we need a clear plan on the future of care and support and how we pay for it, which recognises low pay in the adult Social Care workforce and finally delivers parity of esteem with the NHS. The Social Care Council Tax precept remains a sticking plaster which will not address long-term pressures. No new public health funding, despite this incredibly challenging period, also runs contrary to addressing the stark health inequalities exposed by Covid19 and levelling up our communities. Keeping people healthy and well throughout their lives reduces pressure on the NHS and Social Care.”


"Don't drop your guard"

THE latest research carried out by carried out online by Research Without Barriers for Hypochlorous hand sanitiser Steril-eeze released today has revealed that worryingly, we are relaxing our hand hygiene, with 25% fewer people now hand sanitising up to 5 times a day than in lockdown 1. Nearly a quarter of us cite the forthcoming vaccine as the reason for relaxing our hand hygiene, with a 5th saying they are less scared of the impact of the virus and some also blaming laziness and the impact of hand sanitiser on their skin, or 'lockdown hands.'

Says Dr Sarah Jarvis, Medical Advisor to Steril-eeze, "Hand hygiene is so important. Always have a hand sanitiser with you for when you're out and about and can't access soap and water or if you need to sanitise a door handle or surface. Hand sanitisers that contain at least 60% alcohol are highly effective. However, if you find your skin is irritated and dry as a result of these, hand sanitiser containing 300 PPM (parts per million) hypochlorous acid can offer an effective alternative which is kinder to skin."

Editors note:- The surveys were conducted between 13 November 2020 and 17 November 2020 with a sample comprised 1,001 UK adults. All the research conducted adheres to the UK Market Research Society (MRS) code of conduct (2019) and RWB is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and complies with the DPA (1998) Also, the May Research was by IPSOS Online Omnibus. Conducted in May 2020, wit a sample size of 2206 Adults aged 16 to 75years to represent the nationally representative.


RCEM response to the Spending Review 2020

FOLLOWING the Chancellor's statement today outlining the Government's Spending Review, Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), said:- "Any additional funding for the health and care service is always welcome. After the efforts of our Healthcare Workers, still continuing to fight this pandemic, it is essential that we now invest in our healthcare service, our Healthcare Workers, our Hospitals, Social Care and Emergency Departments. However, today's funding announcement still falls short of what we need to fix the deep rooted system wide issues in our NHS. A year on year increase of 3.5% is less than what we, and the sector, have called for and it is still less than the historic year on year average. There is still a significant shortfall in Social Care funding and again, while an extra ₤1bn is welcome, does not meet our call, and will not be enough for the sector to recover. Given the direct impact Social Care has on Emergency Departments, this is storing up problems for the future. We are also unconvinced that the extra money allocated to Health Education England will be able to deliver on the Governments staffing promises, or the 2,500 extra EM Doctors we need. However, a pay rise for clinical NHS staff is very welcome, as is a specific Covid recovery funding and the further boost to capital funding. This will help our EDs begin to reconfigure and expand, to make them fit for the 21st century. Capital funds will in small part help to reduce dangerous crowding, but does little to fix the system wide issues, including flow and lack of nearly 10,000 staffed beds, that underlies the problem. Crowding is now more dangerous than ever and is a catalyst for the spread of Covid. We hope that money invested in Covid vaccination and prevention will do what is required to help eliminate the virus, otherwise the lack of specific focus on our EDs to tackle this problem may prove short sighted."

All information referenced comes from the Government Spending Review 2020:- Gov.UK.


Care England's response to UK's Spending Review

CARE England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult Social Care, has expressed surprise as to why Social Care has been left out in the cold in the Chancellor's Comprehensive Spending Review this afternoon. Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, says:- "In light of the sector's contribution during the Covid19 pandemic, Government must support and be responsive to the needs of the sector. Of course ₤1 billion is welcome, we welcome every penny, but in comparison with the NHS and the challenges that the sector faces, this figure is too little and too late. Unfortunately on previous occasions when the Government gave huge amounts of money to Local Authorities it did not reach the front line so we have grave concerns about the delivery mechanism." The Chancellor said that there would be:- 'access' to ₤1 billion extra for Social Care, split between adult and children's Social Care services most of which will be raised locally. The supporting documents also make reference to additional resources for the Better Care Fund. Care England will be examining the detail, but this is a drop in the ocean in comparison with what the sector needs. Care England welcomes the pay rise for nurses and hope that this extends to independent sector nurses who are equally vital to help look after our society and therefore that this will feed into the Funded Nursing Care rate for 2021/22 and continuing healthcare fees also next year. Martin Green continues:- "Care England hopes that the Government makes good on its promise to bring forward proposals next year on its commitment to sustainable improvement of the adult Social Care system. This cannot wait any longer. If we thought 2020 was hard, unfortunately we have worse to come."


2020 has proved to be extremely challenging for everyone due to Covid19

OVER the last 9 months, residents have had to juggle home Schooling, working from home, job losses, being furloughed, illness, worries, anxiety and, sadly, bereavements. At the same time, our local businesses have had to close, adapt and operate with a host of new safety measures in place. As we prepare to come out of a national lockdown, arrangements can now be made to spend time with family over the festive period. But, it's important to remember that this won't be a normal Christmas and things haven't gone back to normal as the virus is still spreading in our communities. The Government has agreed with the other nations of the UK (Scotland, Ireland and Wales) a set of Christmas 'rules' to ensure a consistent approach for people to follow. They have announced that from Wednesday, 23 December to Sunday, 27 December 2020:-

 You can form an exclusive:- 'Christmas bubble' composed of people from no more than 3 households.

 You can only be in 1 Christmas bubble.

 You cannot change your Christmas bubble.

 You can travel between tiers and UK nations for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble.

 You can only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces.

You can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble outside your home according to the rules in the tier where you are staying.

 You cannot meet someone in a private dwelling who is not part of your household or Christmas bubble, people who are self isolating should not join a Christmas bubble.

In addition, when meeting your Christmas bubble you should take these measures to prevent the spread of the virus:-

 Wash your hands frequently.

 Clean touch points regularly, such as door handles and surfaces.

 If you are only visiting someone for a short time, you should keep socially distanced from anybody you do not live with as much as possible.

 Make sure you let as much fresh air in as you can during a visit and after visitors have left, without getting cold, by opening windows and doors.

 When following these new rules, we must each continue to take personal responsibility to limit the spread of the virus and protect our loved ones, particularly if they are vulnerable.

The full restrictions regarding Christmas arrangements can be found on the Government's website.

Sefton Council Leader Cllr Ian Maher said:- "It's so important that we don't undo all of the good work we've done over the last few months to get our figures down. Covid19 is easily transmitted from person to person and I also know how hard it has been for family and friends who haven't been able to see each other. We all want life to go back to normal, but we need to ensure that we follow the rules to keep our infection rates down and avoid the need for further (and tighter) restrictions being imposed on us. We know that relaxing the rules means the virus grows, so please be sensible and enjoy the festivities safely."


FSB Merseyside and Cheshire and the CLA says:- "Spending Review is a missed opportunity"

THE Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced significant investment across the North West as part of the Government's commitment to level up opportunity across the UK. The Chancellor used the Spending Review to boost housing and transport and regenerate Towns in the North West Region. In the announcement he said that the North West will benefit from over ₤400 million in housing infrastructure funding across 18 projects, including ₤134 million for an 8km road to the south of Carlisle City, facilitating the development of St Cuthbert's Garden Village and unlocking more than 10,000 homes. This is part of the ₤7.1 billion National Home Building Fund which will invest in key infrastructure and provide support for small and medium enterprise house builders to unlock up to 860,000 homes across the country.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will receive a share of ₤4.2bn for Intra City Transport settlements, enabling them to benefit from long term, locally led investment, subject to appropriate governance. The Chancellor ahas also announced a new ₤4 billion Levelling Up Fund which will invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities and will support economic recovery. 

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:- "We are determined to level up all the regions of the United Kingdom including the North West so that everybody can get on in life, wherever they live. Today's investments in housing, transport and infrastructure underlines our commitment to people across the North West. We are providing billions of pounds in the fight against Coronavirus across the UK, delivering the peoples' priorities and driving the UK's recovery."

The North West will also benefit from a share of the ₤5.2bn 6 year flood and coastal defence programme, including better protection for over 12,500 properties across:- Fleetwood, Southport, and Manchester. The Government is supporting the regeneration of 33 towns in the North West through the Towns Fund.

Confirmed Town Deals so far include:-

 ₤40 million for Blackpool to update their illuminations and develop transport links around the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

 ₤25 million for Barrow to develop a new Learning Quarter and upgrade local cycle and walking infrastructure.

 ₤22 million for Warrington to build an electric bus fleet depot, an advanced construction training centre and a health and Social Care academy.

In order to improve connectivity around the English and Scottish border, ₤18 million from the ₤30 million total funding for the Borderlands regeneration project will be invested in the North West in 2021/22. The Government is also building 4 Hospitals within the North West and continuing to grow medical undergraduate degree places, with an additional 171 places in the North West compared to 2017/18. Alongside this, at least 1 prison will be built in the North West as part of the 18,000 new prison places programme. Through the Shared Outcomes Fund, Blackpool will host 1 of 5 pilots which looks to join up local law enforcement agencies, the NHS, prisons and Social Care services both to disrupt serious organised drugs and firearms trade and to provide support to tackle addiction. The Government is also committed to improving education in the Region with Schools in the North West receiving almost ₤5.3 billion in per-pupil funding through the Schools block, an average increase of 3.2% compared to 2020 to 2021. The Government has also announced new Investment Champions for the Northern Powerhouse, which will work with 10 prominent businesses to showcase the region's strengths.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak co:- "We have provided the British Business Bank with the resources to provide ₤100m in additional commitments for the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, to catalyse the growth of small and medium enterprises across the North, including the North East."

B ut, responding to this the Chancellor's Spending Review address, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Development Manager for Merseyside and Cheshire, Phil McCabe, said:- "A Government which claims to be pro-enterprise had very little to say today about the importance of business and private sector job creation. This Spending Review was a missed opportunity to help small business owners; not least those who have been excluded from support measures; and brings the need for a pro-business Spring Budget into focus. Rather than being a tax raising Budget, it must have growth and recovery at its heart. Depending on the spread of Covid and restrictions over the coming months, very significant interventions may well be needed far sooner than the Spring. We will at least need to see meaningful action to spur business and job creation by the time the furlough scheme is reviewed in January 2020. The economic forecasts outlined today are stark. Our hopes of recovery will hinge on the success of small businesses. We need to see far more from this Government where reducing tax on enterprise, facilitating start-ups and bringing down operating and employment costs are concerned. That said, commitments to a new UK infrastructure Bank, Levelling Up Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund are good to see. We've always said that replacing EU funding for business support would be critical as we move to a new relationship with Europe, and our recommendations have been taken on board. It's vital that; as these new initiatives are rolled out; small firms are brought into the supply chains of capital expenditure projects and paid on time. The announcement of measures to aid the sharing of apprenticeship levy funds with small firms down supply chains marks an important step forward. For too long, our transport, broadband and mobile infrastructure has lagged behind other major economies. We welcome efforts to tackle this issue head on. The Government has listened to the expert Low Pay Commission where the National Living Wage is concerned, and that marks the right approach. We've heard an awful lot about Government debt today. We should also remember that previously thriving small firms have had to take on significant borrowing to keep the show on the road and pay for safety measures. Come the Spring, when repayments start to fall due, many will be extremely stretched. A pro-business Budget at that juncture will not just be important, but essential."

Also responding to this announcement, Mark Bridgeman, President of the Country Land and Business Association, said:- "We understand the Chancellor continues to firefight the economic fallout of Covid-19. But this Spending Review did little to show the Government's mantra of 'building back better' will apply to the rural economy. Rural productivity is 16% less productive than the national average. If Government takes steps to close that productivity gap, then ₤43bn will be unlocked into the economy, creating jobs and strengthening communities. This week's spending review will do nothing to boost economic growth in the countryside. The truth is that for the rural economy to achieve its vast potential, Government will need to do a great deal more. We need to see Ministers from the Treasury, DEFRA, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other key departments to work together, and with the industry, to identify and deliver new policies specifically designed to create jobs and grow businesses in the countryside."


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:- 18,213 cases and the total number now stand at:- 1,557,007 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:- 696, 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:- 56,533, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 66,713.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 16,570. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 1,489 Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 1,432.

In England, there are a total of:- 1,340,635 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 298,210 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

LOCKDOWN

 Liverpool City Region

Liverpool, 23,688 confirmed cases.

87

Halton, 4,554 confirmed cases.

31

Knowsley, 7,691 confirmed cases. 35
Sefton, 10,339 confirmed cases..

61

St. Helens, 7,437 confirmed case.

39

Wirral, 9,862 confirmed cases.

36

 
Colour Key:- 0  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, 9,317 confirmed cases.

 Blackpool, 5,053 confirmed cases.

 Bolton, 14,676 confirmed cases.

 Bury, 9,437 confirmed cases.

 Cheshire East, 8,620 confirmed cases.

 Cheshire West and Chester, 8,722 confirmed cases.

 Lancashire, 45,831 confirmed cases.

 Manchester, 30,301 confirmed cases.

 Oldham, 14,435 confirmed cases.

 Preston, 6,990 confirmed cases.

 Rochdale, 12,200 confirmed cases.

 Salford, 13,078 confirmed cases.

 Stockport, 10,257 confirmed cases.

 Tameside, 10,175 confirmed cases.

 Trafford, 8,521 confirmed cases.

 Warrington, 8,001 confirmed cases

 Wigan, 16,036 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 UK R number is estimated at:- 1 to 1.1 with a daily infection growth rate range of:- +0% to +2%.


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