More care must
be taken Covid19 restrictions tightened around most of
Merseyside
ON 31 July 2020, if you
live in these parts of Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and
West Yorkshire, you should follow these rules when meeting
people who you do not live with. Separate guidance advises on
the similar rules imposed in Leicester.
The new restrictions
are now being imposed on the following affected areas, as
follows:-
► Greater Manchester:- City of
Manchester, Trafford, Stockport, Oldham, Bury, Wigan, Bolton,
Tameside, Rochdale and Salford.
► Lancashire:- Blackburn with
Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale.
► West Yorkshire:- Bradford,
Calderdale and Kirklees.
* 'Bradford' refers to the City of Bradford Metropolitan
District Council. 'Blackburn with Darwen' refers to Blackburn
with Darwen Borough Council.
This move has happened after it was revealed that Blackburn with
Darwen currently has the worst Coronavirus infection rate in all
of England. It is now above 2nd placed Leicester, while Pendle
is also in the top 10 Local Authority areas.
In order to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus within
those areas the local restrictions mean that those who live
within 1 of the affected areas, shouldn't now:-
► Meet people you do not live with
inside a private home or garden, except where you have formed a
support bubble (or for other limited exemptions to be specified
in law)
► Visit someone else's home or garden
even if they live outside of the affected areas.
► Socialise with people you do not
live with; in other indoor public venues; such as:- pubs,
restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres,
leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions. But,
you may attend these venues with people you live with (or are in
a support bubble with), but should avoid interaction with
others. If you run such a business, you should take steps to
ensure people do not interact with people they do not live with,
in line with COVID-19 secure guidance, visit friends or family
in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances.
►
Care homes should restrict visits to these
circumstances.
The Government has also said it is passing new laws to enforce
the changes to meeting people within private homes and gardens.
The Police will be able to take action against those that break
these rules, including:- asking people to disperse and issuing
fixed penalty notices (starting at £100 , that will be halving
to £50 if paid in the 1st 14 days; and doubling for subsequent
offences).
Business closures...
All businesses and venues which were required to remain closed
before 31 July 2020, in both Blackburn with Darwen, and in
Bradford, must continue to remain closed to members of the
public.
From 1 August 2020, in Bradford, the following premises which
were previously permitted to be open must now be closed by law:-
► Indoor gyms.
► Indoor fitness and dance studios.
► Indoor sports courts and facilities.
► Indoor swimming pools, including:-
indoor facilities, at water parks.
It is stressed that:- "It will be illegal for people who
do not live together to meet in a private home or garden, except
for limited exceptions to be set out in law. You should not host
or visit people you do not live with, unless they're in your
support bubble. If you live in the affected areas, you should
not visit someone's home or garden regardless of whether this is
in or outside of the restricted area."
More information can be found on:-
Gov.UK.
As these new restriction areas have been announced, a spike in
cases has started to be seen within other parts of Lancashire,
with text messages warnings being issued to those within:-
Blackpool, Burnley, Lancaster, Preston, Rossendale, South Ribble
and West Lancs, reminding people to follow the guidance or those
areas will also be placed into special measures.
St Helens Borough's Council has said today that:- "The
rate of #COVID19 infection is low in the Borough of St Helens;
let's keep it low by continuing to wash our hands regularly,
keep our distance and wear a mask when necessary. Neighbouring
areas have been impacted by new rules limiting contact between
households. So please be aware of this and stay alert."
Interestingly, MP Bill Esterson said:- "Police describe
local lockdowns as 'nonsense, haphazard and yet again impossible
to police.' Why, oh why doesn't this Government work with those
trying to deal with this crisis instead of ignoring them and
making announcements without consultation or putting plans in
place 1st?"
"FINAL CALL" - Sefton
Discretionary Grant Fund
THE Sefton
Discretionary Grant Fund will re-open, on Monday, 3 August 2020
and close finally, on Tuesday, 11 August 2020, at 5.00pm. When
submitting your application please also submit the supporting
evidence as soon as possible as your application will not be
reviewed until all the evidence has been submitted. This will be
your last chance to apply for Discretionary Grant Funding. You
are ONLY eligible to apply for a Discretionary Grant if you have
commercial premises and associated fixed property costs such
as:- mortgage payments, rent, building insurance, utility bills
prior to the 11 March 2020 that can be evidenced.
Please note that you will need apply
online. Please read the
guidance and FAQ's before applying. You are NOT
eligible to apply if:-
► You are eligible or have already
received a grant from Sefton Council Business rates of:- £10,000
or £25,000
► You have already received a grant
from the Discretionary Fund.
► You work from home.
► Other eligibility conditions; see
guidance document and frequently asked questions.
Please note:- The Discretionary Grant is being administrated by
a small team; it is not part of Sefton Business Rates or
InvestSefton, if you have a query please email them on:-
DiscretionaryGrant@Sefton.Gov.UK
and they will respond.
Letter to editor:– "Safe spaces for
blind and partially sighted people"
"DEAR Southport and
Mersey Reporter, with lockdown easing, it's clear the Government
wants us to become more active, return to work and dine out
again. To support this, Local Authorities have already begun to
create new cycle lanes, e-scooter trials have started, and more
tables and chairs are appearing on our pavements. But some of
these changes are having a direct impact on blind and partially
sighted people, who can't see where new cycle lanes cross
walkways, find it difficult to identify silent e-scooters and
have paths blocked by al fresco dining outside restaurants. It's
essential that Local Authorities consult with disabled people to
consider the effect these changes may have on people who are
blind or partially sighted, or who have other mobility issues.
Space for new cycle lanes should be taken from roads, have
controlled crossings, and not affect bus stop access. E-scooter
trials must not inadvertently increase obstacles on the
pavement, and businesses considering putting furniture outside
should think about how disabled people will navigate around it.
Our 'new normal' should be as open and inclusive as possible, to
help everyone get back outside; not make it more difficult."
Eleanor Thompson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, RNIB
(Royal National Institute of Blind People)
Local MP says the introduction of
Northern England lockdown was:- "shambolic and chaotic"
MP Bill Esterson has
criticised the Government for the:- "shambolic and chaotic" way it
introduced local lockdowns across the North of England. The MP
for Sefton Central said lessons should be learned from the way
stricter conditions for people living in Greater Manchester and
part of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire had been brought in.
The 1st that local Directors of public health heard about the
Government's plans was via the media a few hours before the
lockdown started. On Thursday evening, Health Secretary, Matt
Hancock said on Twitter that:- "immediate action"
was needed across parts of the North after a rise in Covid-19
infections. Mr Esterson said:- "The way these new
restrictions were brought was shambolic and chaotic. There was
very little discussion with Local Authorities and Directors of
public health found out about on the television news. Lessons
must be learned because these local lockdown measures could well
be introduced in other areas in the coming days, weeks and
months, including potentially in Sefton. A repeat of Thursday
cannot be allowed to happen. We cannot have such confusing
messaging. People need certainty so they know what to do to keep
them and their loved ones safe."
Further easing of the national lockdown was also halted across
England. Indoor venues such as casinos, ice rinks and bowling
alleys, which were due to reopen, will remain closed. Live
indoor theatre and concerts, which were due to resume with
socially distanced audiences, will not take place. Pilot
sporting events allowing limited numbers of spectators at
Goodwood, the Crucible and The Oval, will not go ahead, and
wedding receptions with up to 30 guests cannot yet happen. These
restrictions were due to be relaxed on 1 August, but have now
been put back to 15 August at the earliest.
Mr Esterson said it was yet another example of how the
Government has mismanaged its approach to the pandemic. Bill
Esterson MP is supporting a cross party group of MPs who will
report to the Government to suggest what lessons can be learned
from the UK's Government's handling of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Those lessons are crucial so that the Government avoids making
the same mistakes over and over again and to reduce the number
of people dying or becoming disabled as a result of being
infected.
Mr Esterson said:- "The UK's Government's preparedness and
response must be improved for the future. Recent events have
been just further examples of the failures of this Government to
deal with the pandemic. The cross party group will look at the
Government's response and make recommendations. We need an
inquiry into what has gone on so that we can learn from what's
happened. So far the Government has made the same mistakes over
and over again on PPE, test and trace, mask wearing, slow
decision making and on confusing advice. Their approach to the
economy was also delayed and they had to be dragged kicking and
screaming to put in place the job retention scheme and support
for self employed people and businesses. They initially refused
to do any of these things and it was only a concerted effort by
Labour, by trade unions, by business groups and by health
professionals that ensured the Government made the right
decisions. But the delays costs lives and they cost jobs and
livelihoods and still 3 million people have not had financial
support, which is one in ten of economically active citizens.
The Government needs to be far more effective in its actions to
protect lives and the economy."
The cross party group will hear oral evidence and has received
more than 900 written submissions from bereaved families, people
suffering from long term effects of Covid-19 and professional
bodies including the NHS Confederation. Mr Esterson said:-
"The inquiry can help save lives and help the Government
learn from the last few months. It is also vital to the economic
recovery from the crisis, which has already been the worst in
economic terms in 300 years of records."
In Prime Minister's Questions before Parliament broke for the
summer, the Prime Minister committed to look at any
recommendations put forward to him. Mr Esterson said:-
"The Government must listen to the evidence and act on it. It is
right that MPs scrutinise what the Government has done and what
it hasn't done. That is how to learn and how to improve. This is
too important not to do so. The Prime Minister has made many
mistakes in this crisis. He cannot undo those mistakes but he
owes it to all those who have died and their loved ones, to all
those who have suffered long term illnesses and to all those who
have face financial hardship to apply the lessons and
recommendations, which come out of the cross party enquiry."
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 880 cases and the total
number now stand at 303,181, 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 120 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 46,119.
In England, there are a total of 261,348 confirmed cases. North
West - total of 46,105 confirmed cases. The number of laboratory
confirmed cases within the following Local Authorities, in and
around the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-
► Liverpool, 2,556 confirmed cases.
► Sefton, 1,570 confirmed cases.
► Wirral, 2,067 confirmed cases.
► St. Helens, 1,203 confirmed cases
► Halton, 702 confirmed cases.
►
Blackpool,
1,049 confirmed cases.
Urgent warning issued to
residents.
►
Blackburn with Darwen,
1,388 confirmed cases.
.
Under local lockdown
warning
►
Bolton, 1,987 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning.
►
Bury, 1,341 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning.
► Cheshire West and Chester, 2,040 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire East, 2,241 confirmed cases.
►
Lancashire, 7,116 confirmed cases.
Urgent warning issued to
residents.
►
Manchester, 3,269 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning.
►
Oldham, 2,121 confirmed cases.
Under new local lockdown
measures!
Numbers up by 29 cases.
►
Rochdale,
1,864 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning
►
Stockport,
1,735 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning.
►
Tameside, 1,610 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning.
►
Trafford, 1,426 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning.
►
Wigan, 2,179 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning.