Sefton Gets
1st Covid-19 Local Testing Sites
THE 1st ever dedicated
walk through Covid-19 testing sites in Cheshire and Merseyside
are to be deployed in Sefton. The semi permanent sites, known as
Local Testing Sites (LTS), are being created in both Bootle and
Southport, with the 1st of these set to go live on Friday, 31
July 2020, in Bootle, Merseyside.
LTS are designed to supplement existing testing routes such as
Regional and Mobile Testing Units. They are the 1st to offer
bespoke walk through appointments; to improve access for the
whole community, especially those who do not have access to a
car or should not be using public transport because they have
symptoms.
Unlike Mobile Testing Units, which are often deployed for around
four days, the LTS will be open for several months to ensure
that accessible testing is continually available to people
within their communities. Each LTS will have between four and
eight testing bays which can each test up to three people an
hour.
The sites are being set up at Southport Town Hall and Bootle
Town Hall, and users will be asked to self swab when attending.
The LTS will operate by appointment only which can be booked
at:-
NHS.UK/Coronavirus or by
calling:- 119.
Leader of Sefton Council, Cllr Ian Maher, said:- “We have
been working very closely with colleagues in the NHS in Cheshire
and Merseyside and the Department for Health and Social Care to
ensure that we have the most accessible testing facilities for
the people of Sefton, when and where they need them. I am
delighted that we have been able to secure the first ever LTS
facilities in Cheshire and Merseyside and that people will have
even greater access to testing should people feel unwell. We
have a fairly unique borough, which is both long and narrow, so
being able to secure an LTS for both Southport and Bootle is a
really good result. We will continue to work closely to ensure
that all of the testing availability is used in the best
possible way to help keep Sefton safe as we look to support the
recovery of our area and the local economy.”
Regional Testing Director for Cheshire and Merseyside, Terry
Whalley, said:- “This additional capacity is great for
Sefton and the whole of Cheshire and Merseyside. Having two
semi-permanent LTS’s in Sefton means that we will be able to use
other testing facilities more flexibly and be able to deploy
them in a more targeted way in the future. This will help the
Director of Public Health, and other professionals have a
greater say in how testing is used and deployed locally. Having
this extra capacity, more permanently, means that we can respond
and react in a much more targeted way with other testing
resources, should we see local outbreaks or other urgent needs.
Such decisions can now be made in the knowledge that there are
testing sites in both Bootle and Southport to rely on day to
day. We will carefully study the use of these new sites in
Sefton as we look to roll out further testing capability across
Cheshire and Merseyside in our bid to continue protecting lives
and livelihoods.”
More information on visiting a Local Testing
Site is available in this YouTube video:-
MP praises
protestors after bid to frack near Formby is withdrawn
SEFTON Central MP Bill
Esterson said the government must now ban fracking outright
after energy company Aurora withdrew its application to frack
near Formby. Mr Esterson has consistently opposed the plans for
fracking because of the climate crisis and because of concerns
about the impact on the local environment and on residents
nearby. Mr Esterson said only an outright ban would do as Aurora
made clear its plans to lobby the Government to end the
moratorium on fracking, which has been in place since 2019. Mr
Esterson praised campaigners and local residents for their work
in blocking Aurora’s plans. He also praised Sefton Council’s
Labour Group, who opposed fracking, in Sefton’s local plan, and
in several motions passed at Council meetings. Other non
political groups also formed to fight the company also formed
and put pressure on them at abandon plans to
frack near Formby.
Mr Esterson said:- "This
is great news for the residents of Formby and Sefton more
broadly. I cannot praise enough the determination of the
campaigners whose quiet dedication has been vindicated. This is
a victory for honest politics over vested interests. It is also
a victory for my constituents in Formby who were very concerned
by their experiences of the test drilling at Altcar Moss, by the
earthquakes at Preston New Road and the implications for the
town. Labour has consistently warned about the dangers of
fracking and led the way in its policy of opposition to
Fracking. Banning fracking is National Labour policy because we
recognise the need to stop using fossil fuels. Credit to Labour
run Sefton Council too who have also clearly opposed this all
the way. Fracking produces gas for burning, which produces
carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases and
contributors to global warming. Aurora say they will lobby the
Government to end the moratorium on fracking. The Government
must ignore the lobbying and turn the moratorium into a
permanent ban. Otherwise the Prime Minister’s promises about net
zero carbon are worthless. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat
Coalition have tried to push this agenda and tried to leverage
Local Authorities into pursuing this against local residents'
opposition. Labour believes in Green energy and a transformation
of our energy supply to one that is renewable and sustainable.
Unlike our opponents, we mean it."
LGA respond to cultural
funding announcement
RESPONDING to the UK
Government’s ₤500 million funding scheme to kickstart film and
television production struggling to secure insurance for
COVID-19 related costs, Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson, Chair of the
Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board,
said:- “This emergency support for our cultural and
creative sectors is positive and a vote of confidence in their
contribution to society, our economy, and our standing in the
world. We need to ensure that this funding gets to those places
most at risk of losing their cultural organisations; sometimes
the only ones in that area. Councils are uniquely placed to
understand the needs of their communities. It is therefore
disappointing that Councils have been overlooked and have not
been offered a place on the Culture Recovery Board. We urge the
Board to recognise this and extend an invitation for Councils to
participate on the Board and we look forward to working closely
with all partners to ensure the UK’s culture industry thrives.”
Total UK cases COVID-19 cases - update for Liverpool City Region
and surroundings
THE total number of UK
Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections that have been laboratory
confirmed, within the UK, has risen by 763 cases and the total
number now stand at 301,455, that includes tests carried out by
commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National
totals.
Daily number of COVID-19 associated UK fatalities added to the
total, was sadly reported to be 83 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 45,961.
In England, there are a total of 259,722 confirmed cases. North
West - total of 45,684 confirmed cases. The number of laboratory
confirmed cases within the following Local Authorities, in and
around the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-
► Liverpool, 2,530 confirmed cases.
► Sefton, 1,565 confirmed cases.
► Wirral, 2,061 confirmed cases.
► St. Helens, 1,203 confirmed cases
► Halton, 699 confirmed cases.
► Blackpool, 1,043 confirmed cases.
► Blackburn with Darwen,
1,340 confirmed cases.
.
Under local lockdown
warning
Numbers up by 12 cases.
► Bolton, 1,966 confirmed cases.
► Bury, 1,334 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire West and Chester, 2,033 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire East, 2,236 confirmed cases.
► Lancashire, 7,058 confirmed cases.
► Manchester, 3,206 confirmed cases.
► Oldham, 2,073 confirmed cases.
Under new local lockdown
measures!
Numbers up by 17 cases.
► Rochdale, 1,847 confirmed cases.
► Stockport, 1,716 confirmed cases.
► Tameside, 1,591 confirmed cases.
► Trafford, 1,401 confirmed cases.
► Wigan, 2,172 confirmed cases.
An urgent warning has
also been issued to residents in Pendle...