Supporting
our Local Heroes
SOUTHPORT Hesketh
Round Table (organisers of Southport Charity Bonfire and
Fireworks, the Town's amazing Santa Sleigh and popular Mad Dog
10k race) has partnered with local food delivery service, Knock
N' Drop, to say a massive thank you to our local'unsung
heroes'.
Our nominated local heroes have been randomly selected by
Southport Hesketh Round Table to receive a fabulous grocery pack
as a thank you for all their personal sacrifice, hard work and
kindness at this very difficult time. These boxes contain fresh
fruit, vegetables and groceries, sourced from our local shops,
and have been delivered safely and hygienically, directly to
front doors, by Knock N' Drop's professional team.
Over the last few weeks Southport Hesketh Round Table have
funded over40 boxes - Hero Nadine Baynes has posted this story
about her unexpected thank you on the Birkdale Village Facebook
Page.
The recipients of boxes have been:- 1st responders, nurses,
hospital workers, shop workers, carers, refuse collectors,
milkmen, delivery drivers or just good neighbours, who have gone
the extra mile in giving support during this fight against
Covid-19.
Round Table is the largest voluntary organisation for young men
aged 18 to 45 in the world and we are always looking for local
guys to get involved for fun, friendship and community events;
please email:-
SHRT@Hotmail.Co.UK or call:-
07711324060 or like our Facebook page @SHRT1199 for more
information.
GMTC
deliberately blocking scrutiny over Coronavirus transport crisis
THE Liberal Democrats have accused the Chair of Greater
Manchester Transport Committee (GMTC) of deliberately blocking
scrutiny and avoiding input from across the Region. The Liberal
Democrats have claimed that the Chair of GMTC, Councillor Mark
Aldred, has "ignored multiple requests from Liberal
Democrat members of the committee to constructively scrutinise
how the Region's transport will begin to recover from the
Coronavirus crisis once lockdown beings to ease." The
Liberal Democrats representatives on GMTC, John Leech and Howard
Sykes, has also accused Councillor Aldred of deliberately
avoiding scrutiny and input from across the Region and political
divide. The party has since set out 5 points that GMTC must
urgently answer in order to address concerns about how the
Region's transport will begin to recover from the Coronavirus
crisis:-
1. How will social distancing be maintained at the same time as
getting people back on public transport.
2. Address the budget implications of far fewer passengers and
how this will allow us to maintain subsidised bus services.
3. The impact on infrastructure and cost of the Government and
Council prioritising walking and cycling.
4. Concerns raised by bus companies about Andy Burnham not
delivering all the money promised to operators.
5. How this crisis may affect decisions about franchising bus
services.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Manchester John Leech said:-
"Everyone is under a lot of strain at the moment but the
lack of transparency and communication from the Chair of GMTC
with other Transport Committee members and public transport
operators has been unacceptable. Transport has been one of the
most affected areas as a result of the lockdown and the
reintroduction needs to be a cross-party, collaborative plan
with input from across the Region. But Councillor Aldred is not
learning lessons from last month's mess and is deliberately
keeping other Transport committee members in the dark to avoid
scrutiny."
Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Oldham Howard Sykes added:-
"GMTC must get a grip of the crisis by allowing and
inviting transparency and constructive scrutiny. Members from
all political parties on the Greater Manchester Transport
Committee must be involved in tackling this crisis to ensure the
very best plans are put forward for our Region."
Council
clears the air with fire pit health and safety plea
LIVERPOOL City Council
is calling on residents to think of their neighbours and avoid
lighting fires in their gardens during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Smoke nuisance can be caused by family barbeques, chimeneas and
other wood burners or fire pits, and by people burning garden or
household waste. These fires also contribute to local pollution
levels. The City's Household Waste Recycling Centres now
offering a restricted service and green waste collection service
are due to begin again next week, to help alleviate problems
with garden waste. Smoke inhalation can have an immediate and
harmful effect on people with health problems such as asthma,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or
bronchitis. Similar concerns have also been raised in other
parts of the country about the problems caused by smoke nuisance
for people with breathing difficulties and those suffering from
Coronavirus.
The Council is urging
residents to think about their neighbours and how they might
suffer if they light a fire in their garden or allotment, even
barbecue smoke could create problems for those nearby. Liverpool
City Council can take enforcement action against those who light
bonfires regularly and cause a nuisance to their neighbours.
Since the Coronavirus lockdown began, Liverpool has seen a large
reduction in pollution levels, mainly as a result of fewer car
journeys.
As well as creating smoke
nuisance for neighbours, garden fires contribute to those levels
of pollution which are also known to harm people's health. It is
not an offence to light a fire in your garden. It is, however,
an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to cause
a statutory smoke nuisance. A statutory nuisance happens when
smoke causes unreasonable interference with a person's use or
enjoyment of their property. Smoke nuisance can occur at any
time of the day or night.
Cllr Sharon Connor, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for
Waste and the Environment, said:- "If you're thinking of
lighting a fire of any kind in your garden, please don't. People
staying inside their homes are advised to keep their windows
open to get some fresh air, so please spare a thought for those
with respiratory problems or Coronavirus symptoms. We need
people to think about our neighbours and how they might suffer
if you light a fire in your garden or allotment, even barbecue
smoke could create problems for those nearby. Liverpool City
Council can take enforcement action against those who light
bonfires regularly and cause a nuisance to their neighbours."
Residents can use the Council's online form to report bonfires
that are causing a statutory nuisance:-
Liverpool.Gov.UK.
Tips for dealing
with garden waste:-
► It's much better for your neighbours and the environment to
compost garden waste instead of burning it.
► Leave your lawn for longer before you mow it.
► Let the grass grow to create a mini meadow; it's great for
wildlife.
► Make a mulch with your grass clippings.
► Make compost at home and give yourself a free supply of
nutrient rich soil.
► Spread out grass cuttings to dry for a few days before putting
in your green bin; this avoids making the bin heavy and reduces
any smells from rotting.
► If you are cutting back trees and bushes, use the branches as
supports for other plants later in the year. Liverpool's 2
Household Waste Recycling Centres have now re-opened and are
offering a restricted service. The Council will begin its garden
waste collection service again on Monday, 11 May 2020.
► For more information about what
Liverpool City Council is doing to improve air quality across
the city, visit the Let's Clear The Air website:-
LetsClearTheAirLiverpool.Co.UK
.
UK experts
launch project with WHO team offering global insight into the
effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy and childbirth
AN online resource
bringing together research on the effects of the global COVID-19
pandemic on expectant mothers and their babies is set to be
launched by maternal health experts from the University of
Birmingham this week which could help to inform guidelines and
treatment pathways.
The PregCOV-19 project, led by the World Health Organization
(WHO) Collaborating Centre for Global Women's Health at
University of Birmingham, aims to evaluate the rapidly emerging
evidence on maternal and offspring outcomes and risks in women
with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The team, from the
University's Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, will
combine existing evidence in the form of published primary
studies, and update the findings on a regular basis as new
information becomes available.
Led by Shakila Thangaratinam, Professor of Maternal and
Perinatal health at the University of Birmingham and co-lead of
the WHO Collaborative Centre for Global Women's Health, the
project will not only assess the quality of each study but begin
to identify global patterns. These patterns could in turn help
to shed light on a number of key research questions including
the risk of COVID-19 in pregnancy and postpartum, how symptoms
of the virus present in pregnancy as well as potential
complications for both mother and baby and the risk of mother to
child transmission either intrauterine, during delivery or after
childbirth.
Professor Thangaratinam said:- "While there is a
remarkably high volume of evidence on the virus' effects during
pregnancy and postpartum that has emerged in a relatively short
space of time, the quality of evidence is varied. Our global
collaborative project offers a platform to rapidly integrate new
evidence as they emerge through living systematic reviews and to
report the key findings. Any recommendation on the care of
pregnant and postnatal women who are suspected or confirmed to
have the virus should be based on robust evidence which is what
we hope to achieve with this project."
Findings will be shared via an online portal aimed at healthcare
professionals and the academic community. The team will conduct
regular searches for new evidence, which will be compiled and
summarised with key messages shared weekly on the project
website. The website can be accessed by visiting:-
Birmingham.AC.UK/Pregcov
Liverpool
turns
red,
white
and
blue
for 75th Anniversary of VE
Day
CIVIC Buildings across
the City will turn red, white and blue to mark 75th Anniversary
of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) when allied forces announced
the surrender of Germany in Europe, ending World War 2, on
Friday, 8 May 2020. The 3 Graces, St George's Hall,
Liverpool Cathedral, St John's Beacon and Radio City, the M&S
Bank Arena, Exchange Flags and Liverpool ONE are just some of
the venues taking part. A special VE Day 'Thank You'
image will also appear on 18 huge digital screens across the
City throughout the day, at locations such as Lime Street, Lord
Street, Scotland Road, the M62 screens the Royal Court and 1
located at Anfield Stadium.
In the run up to the day, residents are encouraged to get
involved. All information and details can be found on the VE Day
pages on the Culture Liverpool website. The assets include:
downloadable bunting, special music playlists featuring popular
artists from the time including Vera Lynn, Glenn Miller and
Frank Sinatra and even a lyrics sheet so people can sing along.
There is also a whole host of suggestions for lockdown home
schooling; from activities to take part in, a video produced by
The Imperial War Museum right through to a creative challenge
set by historian and presenter, Dan Snow. The website also has
some top tips on how to investigate local archives to find out
about Liverpool's fascinating history, and how residents can
find out if their family members played a part in the war
effort.
The venues which will be lighting up on Friday are:- Cunard
Building, Royal Liver Building, Port of Liverpool Building,
Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool Town Hall, St George's Hall,
Central Library, Liverpool ONE, M&S Bank Arena, St John's
Beacon, Radio City, Exchange Flags and the Greystone Bridge in
Huyton.
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Events,
Councillor Wendy Simon, said:- "Before the pandemic, there
were plans in place to celebrate VE Day in style; parades,
street parties, Church services and a display of military assets
were all being organised to mark the event. Although things are
now different, it doesn't mean Friday, 8 May 2020, is any less
important and we still want to do as much as we can to celebrate
this momentous time in recent history. The buildings lighting up
is a wonderful symbol that as a City, even in these difficult
times, we can still work together to make these visual
statements. The special website also allows us to reach out in
different ways and ensures that people; old and young; can
understand the significance of the day and get the most out of
it. I encourage as many people as possible to head online and
utilise this valuable resource, and remember and thank those who
played their part in bringing about peace in Europe."
Total UK cases
COVID-19 cases - update for Liverpool City Region and
surroundings
ON 6 May 2020, fatalities are still
increasing, today by 649 taking the total number of deaths of
those who have tested positive for COVID-19, by a Public Health
or NHS Laboratory to 30,076. The UK Coronavirus death has risen
by 21,000 in just a day, to 201,101 according to Data published
by the Office for National Statistics. In England, there have
been 6,111 confirmed cases. North West of England has seen
21,000 confirmed cases. Current Hospital Laboratory confirmed
cases within the following Local Authorities, in and around the
Liverpool City Region are as follows:-
► Liverpool, 1,497 confirmed cases.
► Sefton, 846 confirmed cases.
► Wirral, 1,067 confirmed cases.
► St. Helens, 681 confirmed cases.
► Halton, 335 confirmed cases.
► Lancashire, 3,010 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire West and Chester, 881 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire East, 953 confirmed cases.
► Manchester, 1,204 confirmed cases.
► Stockport, 908 confirmed cases.
► Trafford, 644 confirmed cases.
► Wigan, 828 confirmed cases.
► Bolton, 842 confirmed cases.
► Rochdale, 566 confirmed cases.
► Bury, 590 confirmed cases.
► Tameside, 504 confirmed cases.
► Oldham, 808 confirmed cases.
► Blackburn with Darwen, 339 confirmed cases.
These stats are according to Public Health England as of
06/05/2020. Last updated 5.05pm 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 6 May 2020 Video