This is our
final daily lockdown update news page
THE
next few weeks we will be adding local statistics
on here, but as people are going back to work, we are retuning
back to our normal weekly news service. We will continue to
keeping up up to date via our free email service, on Formby
Reporter and we will be adding the odd update on these pages, if
anything major happens. We hope this unusual time in our lives
is over. We will start running updates like this should we go
back into a full lockdown, lets hope that that does not happen.
Please stay safe and keep aware of the thereat hanging over us
all from Covid-19 and stay safe.
COVID-19
mortality in Hospitalised cancer patients is not significantly
affected by anti-cancer treatments, study finds
A new study led by the
Universities of Birmingham and Oxford has found the mortality
rate in cancer patients who are assessed or treated in Hospital
with COVID-19 is not significantly affected by chemotherapy or
other anti-cancer treatments. Published in The Lancet, the study
was devised by steering committee of the UK Coronavirus Cancer
Monitoring Project (UKCCMP) which launched in March, and
collects information on UK cancer patients who are diagnosed
with COVID-19. The UKCCMP forms the largest prospective database
and analysis of COVID-19 in this group of patients. The project
was set up to rapidly assimilate and disseminate data about the
course of COVID-19 in cancer patients, and to evaluate whether
recent (within 4 weeks) or current chemotherapy or other active
cancer treatment (radiotherapy, immunotherapy or hormonal
therapy) impacted upon this trajectory in terms of morbidity and
mortality. Local clinicians at each participating centre
reported the clinical outcome of the inputted patients,
recording whether they died or were discharged, and also
detailing other important risk factors such as:- age, gender,
and the presence of comorbidities. 55 cancer centres across the
UK reported into the UKCCMP, analysing the outcomes of the first
800 COVID19-positive cancer patients. Results found 169 of the
800 were reported as having no comorbidities other than cancer.
In the remaining 631 patients, other comorbidities included
hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. In terms of COVID-19 disease
trajectory, over half of patients followed a mild disease
course. As in the general population, patients who were older
and suffered other co-morbidities were at increased risk of
death compared to younger patients without any other underlying
comorbidities. The overall mortality rate was 28%. Recent
receipt (within 4 weeks) of chemotherapy was not associated with
an increased risk of death.
Joint-lead author Dr Lennard Lee, Medical Oncology Clinical
Academic from the University of Birmingham's Institute of Cancer
and Genomic Sciences said:- "This project is a great
illustration of what can be achieved by the UK oncology
community. We have joined forces to learn from each other and
answer the most pressing questions for cancer patients. The
UKCCMP projects will be crucial in providing the necessarily
tools to enable to identify and mitigate risks to cancer
patients now and in any possible pandemic phases. This will
ensure the highest levels of cancer care will continue to be
provided across the UK."
Joint-lead author Professor Jean-Baptiste Cazier, Director of
the Centre for Computational Biology at the University of
Birmingham said:- "This study demonstrates the power of
the rapid integration of data from across the country to deliver
actionable knowledge in near-real-time and inform clinicians and
cancer patients, enabling them to make critical decisions in
these challenging times. This close collaboration between
oncologists and data scientists through the
Centre for Computational
Biology illustrates how expert use of data can have an immediate
impact on patients' lives."
Joint-senior author, Professor Gary Middleton from the
University of Birmingham said:- "We hope this study will
be reassuring for cancer patients, as to whether chemotherapy or
anti-cancer treatments will increase their risk of dying from
COVID-19. Including their increased risk due to their cancer,
our answer is not necessarily so. Our data strongly shows that
cancer COVID-19 mortality is principally driven by advancing age
and the presence of other non-cancer co-morbidities."
Joint senior author, Professor Rachel Kerr from the University
of Oxford said:- "I am incredibly proud of how hard my
colleagues have worked to deliver this hugely important and
timely study. The team comprises a wealth of expertise from
consultant oncologists to computational data scientists, but
actually also could not have been delivered without the
dedication of our junior doctors and medical and biological
science undergraduates. Sterling team work which has produced a
really critical answer for our understandably concerned cancer
patients and community."
More Mersey
Ferry services added as people Rethink Travel
COMMUTER services on
the iconic Mersey Ferries will increase from Monday, 1 June
2020. With more people starting to move around the City region
as lockdown restrictions start to ease, commuters are being
asked to rethink how they travel. And increasing numbers
are turning to the world-famous Mersey Ferries for their
original purpose; as a key mode of public transport. The advice
from Merseytravel's ReThink Travel campaign continues to be that
people should only travel if necessary and think carefully about
when and by what means they travel. But, as more people return
to work, the step up in Mersey Ferry services provides another
valuable cross river option for commuters as space on all public
transport is greatly reduced due to social distancing rules.
The additional commuter services each morning and evening and
will be introduced on a phased basis, in anticipation of a
further increase in the number of people needing to travel and
get to and from work. By 15 June 2020 there will be services
running all day and at weekends providing people with more
travel choices and to help spread demand on the city region's
transport network as a whole. Travelling by Mersey Ferry offers
the opportunity for people travel in the open air, with capacity
to enable social distancing, supported by safe embarkation and
disembarkation protocols. It also offers a great opportunity to
make cycling and walking part of the daily cross river commute.
Mersey Ferries were temporarily suspended at the beginning of
lockdown and as only a handful of passengers were using the
services. A decision was taken to re-instate the weekday
commuter services in mid-may in direct response to the easing of
lockdown restrictions.
Cllr Liam Robinson, Portfolio Holder for Transport for the
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said:- "Our
iconic Mersey Ferries are back in service to support people
travelling and they are a great way to incorporate walking and
cycling into your journey. The commuter service only takes 10
minutes to cross the river and with social distancing being
managed on board and plenty of car park spaces at Seacombe,
people should take advantage of this fantastic way to travel.
There's going to be more people on the move in the coming weeks
and our Re Think travel campaign ask us all to consider if, how
and when we will travel so that we can help keep everyone safe.
This means planning our journeys including avoiding the peak and
staggering journey times as well as paying by contactless as
well as considering different ways to travel such as cycling,
walking and the Mersey Ferries."
Customers are advised to follow Merseytravel's Re Think travel
campaign and use the advice to plan their journeys and help keep
everyone safe. Social distancing measures are in place at both
the Pier Head and Seacombe terminals and on board the vessels to
protect both passengers and staff. There is free parking for 370
cars at Seacombe Terminal. Customers are asked to pay for their
tickets by contactless card and use the on site ticket vending
machines wherever possible.
Service information - for timetable details please go to the
Mersey Ferries
website.
Week 1 June - Weekday Commuter Service between 07:20 to 11:00
and 15:00 to 19:00; Week 8 June - Weekday Commuter Service
between 07:20 to 19:00; Week 15 June - Weekday Commuter Service
between 07:20 to 19:00 and Weekend hourly cross river service
10:00 to 17:00.
Dogs in
Liverpool to benefit from work changes
THE
big winners from the lockdown are most definitely
our furry friends, with thousands of "9 to 5ers"
now working from home, the lives of our dogs are only going to
get better. "Our dog Molly has enjoyed regular walks and
more play time than ever; this is a trend that is going to
continue well past lockdown and force changes to our
workspaces." explains Jonathan Ratcliffe, of Liverpool
office provider,
Offices.Co.UK. During
lockdown, our dogs have provided entertainment for the kids,
helped those with their daily exercise and provided comfort to
those lonely and isolated; but the place of the dog in our
working routine is about to change more than it has in the last
100 years. As more of us work from home and can be more flexible
in our daily routines, we will be spending more working time
with our dogs than ever, and as we come out of lockdown
workplaces throughout Liverpool will have to adapt to these
changes too. Office spaces in Liverpool are already taking a
more flexible position to enquiries containing the previously
dreaded words "dog friendly."
"We estimate that around 10% of the serviced office spaces in
Liverpool are currently dog friendly; we predict this to grow to
around 30% before the end of 2021." explains Ratcliffe.
The "dog friendly" office trend originally started
in the States, but more and more businesses in Liverpool are now
demanding it. As more and more employees work flexibly from home
and as dog ownership rises because people have more time to look
after them, the trend may well be extended to large corporate
offices too. "Post Covid workplaces throughout Liverpool
are going to be more employee led, and it'll be interesting to
see if the bigger office buildings welcome dogs, this will
remain to be seen. What we do know is that more time at home
means more wagging tails from our furry friends."
concludes Jonathan Ratcliffe, from Offices.Co.UK.
Mums find
lockdown has meant more time to breastfeed
MUMS across Merseyside have
been discovering some unexpected benefits of lockdown. It has
meant that many women have found protected time to breastfeed
due to fewer visitors, and more time at home. It comes as
Merseyside marks National Breastfeeding Week from Monday, 1 June
2020, with a series of events organised by breastfeeding support
workers across the area. It will kick off with an online:-
'latch on' at 11am, on Monday, 1 June 2020, over Zoom organised
by Liverpool Bambis, the peer support group for Mums.
Liverpool Mum Sarah King
said:- "I've had time to relax with my baby after working
in a very stressful industry it's been amazing to spend time
bonding and learning how to be a Mum. I'm a single Mum and
thought this was going to be the worst time ever. Breastfeeding
terrified me and I set out to only do 6 weeks initially but this
time has made me love it and feel super confident about doing
it."
To sign up, visit the Liverpool Bambis Facebook
Group. Although the
local breastfeeding rate has been increasing steadily in recent
years, Liverpool still lags behind the national average. A total
of 59% of new Mums start breastfeeding in Liverpool, compared to
67% across the country. This falls to 37% by 6 weeks, compared
to a national rate of 46%. More information about the support
Liverpool Bambis offer is available
online
.
Mum Sarah Macindoe, from Wirral, said:- "This lockdown has
meant we got time together to be a family. We normally only
really have the weekends together as my husband works long days.
We've enjoyed mornings in bed together playing and laughing. My
husband and daughter have had so much bonding time together it's
been so lovely to see them as a 2 and also enjoy it as a 3, or 5
if you count our 2 dogs!"
Liverpool's Director of Public Health, Matt Ashton, said:-
"Breastfeeding for even a short
period gives children the best start in life and National
Breastfeeding Week is a chance for us to celebrate how far we've
come with all our parents, health visitors and Bambis peer
supporters. This year we all find ourselves in extraordinary
circumstances, but to hear that many women are finding more time
to breastfeed brings a glimmer of hope to what has been a
difficult few months."
Total UK cases
COVID-19 cases - update for Liverpool City Region and
surroundings
THE total number of Coronavirus
(COVID-19) that have been laboratory confirmed, within the UK,
has risen by
1,936 cases
and the total number now stand at
274,762, that includes tests
carried out by commercial partners which are not included in the
4 National totals. The total number of deaths of people who have had a
positive test result confirmed by a Public Health or NHS
laboratory is
38,489. Daily number of COVID-19 associated UK
fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be
113
according to the Department of Health. In England, there are a
total of
34,272 confirmed cases. North West - total of
25,637
confirmed cases. The number of laboratory
confirmed cases within the following Local Authorities, in and
around the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-
► Liverpool, 1,627 confirmed
cases.
► Sefton, 932 confirmed cases.
► Wirral, 1,286 confirmed cases.
► St. Helens, 750 confirmed cases.
► Halton, 399 confirmed cases.
► Lancashire, 3,616 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire West and Chester, 1,141 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire East, 1,231 confirmed cases.
► Manchester, 1,578 confirmed cases.
► Stockport, 1,049 confirmed cases.
► Trafford, 825 confirmed cases.
► Wigan, 1,206 confirmed cases.
► Bolton, 1,018 confirmed cases.
► Rochdale, 790 confirmed cases.
► Bury, 757 confirmed cases.
► Tameside, 731 confirmed cases.
► Oldham, 1,076 confirmed cases.
► Blackburn with Darwen, 410 confirmed cases.
These stats are according to Public Health England as of
Sunday, 31 May 2020, at 4:05pm GMT. UK total includes cases
detected through:- "Pillar 2" testing (tests carried out by
commercial partners) and therefore does not equate to the sum of
the 4 countries' counts, which only include:- "Pillar 1" (tests
carried out by NHS / PHE / Devolved Administration Labs)..
UK total includes cases detected through:- "Pillar 2" testing
(tests carried out by commercial partners) and therefore does
not equate to the sum of the 4 countries' counts, which only
include:- "Pillar 1" (tests carried out by NHS / PHE / Devolved
Administration Labs).
UK Government Coronavirus Press
Conference on 31 May 2020 Video