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Merseyside COVID19 Variants update

SEFTON Council have confirmed that there have been reports of South African variant in the PR8 postcode area as well as in the PR9 areas of Southport. Testing is available at Splash World, both incorrect. Efforts are being focused on parts of the PR9 postcode area, including a mobile testing unit and door to door home testing kits.

Public Health England are also now investigating cases of Coronavirus with 'worrying' new genetic changes that have been found in some Regions. We are told that there have been 11 cases in Bristol and a cluster of 32 cases in Liverpool of the new E484K mutation. It is likely there may be more cases that haven't yet been found and it is expected that new variants will happen. This is no surprise as when virus continue to spread, the often also evolve as they make new copies of themselves to spread and thrive.

Everyone should keep following national guidelines, remembering:- "hands, face, space." Wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering, keep your distance from others and stay home unless it is absolutely essential to go out.

Health Officials will continue to closely monitor the situation and residents within affected areas will be informed of any further changes. There is currently no suggestion the variants are more harmful than other Covid19 strains and there is no evidence to indicate the vaccines will not offer protection.

Covid19 Vaccine Roll Out

CARE England, the largest representative body of independent adult social care providers, has been very supportive of the speed and manner in which Covid19 vaccines have been rolled out to priority group one; however it remains concerned that individuals with a learning disability have not been given a higher priority.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:- "We hold that the Government should remove the arbitrary distinction between prioritising those with a severe or profound learning disability and those with a mild or moderate learning disability, and place all those with a learning disability in Priority Group 4. These vaccinations must be administered in the individual's place of residence, as opposed to in vaccination hubs."

People with learning disabilities fit in different cohorts of priority depending on how their learning disability has been classified according to the priorities set out by the JCVI in the Green Book on vaccines. Based upon the current cohorts outlined in the Green Book, individuals with severe and profound learning disabilities are placed under Priority Group 6, whilst only individuals with Down's Syndrome are listed as clinically extremely vulnerable and thus placed under Priority Group 4. There are of course other health conditions that someone may have that will change their priority grouping.

The Public Health England (PHE) report:- "Covid19 deaths of people identified as having learning disabilities,' published in November 2020, outlined how deaths from Covid19 amongst those with learning disabilities was up to 6 times higher than the rate experienced by the general population in the 1st wave of the Pandemic. Whilst those with a learning disability aged between 18 to 34 were up to thirty times more likely to die. Care England called for lessons to be learned from the from the first wave of the Pandemic by prioritising individuals with a learning disability for the Covid19 vaccine and other public health measures will help safeguard some of society's most vulnerable. Although those with a severe or profound learning disability have been prioritised, we would have anticipated that given the increased risk of mortality, they would have subsumed a higher priority."

Martin Green continues:- "Unfortunately people with learning disabilities have been disproportionately affected by this dreadful virus and we want to do all that we can to protect care home residents and staff. We have seen that an incredible scale of mobilisation is possible for the vaccination and we want to harness this to protect the 1.5 million people with a learning disability."

Live near the coast? Do THIS to prevent wildlife death during lockdown

IF you're lucky enough to live close to some of Merseyside's most important areas of natural beauty, this is how you can help to protect them during lockdown. Locals have been flocking to the county's beaches, estuaries and sand dunes for their daily exercise during the current Covid19 lockdown. But if you're one of the hundreds of families walking dogs, the choices you make while on your stroll could mean life or death for the areas' visiting birds. So says Reverend Paul Rooney, Head of Geography and Environmental Science at Liverpool Hope University. While the Sefton coast, Wirral beaches and Mersey estuary areas should be enjoyed, he's concerned the habit of dogs being let off leads creates a terrible threat to migratory birds.

Rev. Rooney, who's also overseeing a brand new Conservation Biology degree at Hope, says:- "We're blessed with an abundance of natural landscapes on our doorstep. And places like the Sefton coast:- Formby, Ainsdale, Crosby; the North Wirral coast, and the Mersey estuary have become increasingly important for people when it comes to local exercise and, more importantly, contact with nature. So, if you are lucky enough not to have to travel to these places, they should absolutely be enjoyed and savoured, but also used responsibly. And that's especially true right now at this particular time of the year. Our estuarine environments are internationally important for overwintering birds:- Dunlin, Sanderling, Oystercatchers as well as enormous flocks of Pink footed geese. Coming to the UK is their equivalent of going on a relaxing summer holiday to Benidorm. It's vital that when they're here they rest, feed and conserve energy. So when we use these beaches now, particularly at high tides, it's really important that we distance ourselves from flocks of birds and we keep dogs under control in order to minimise the disturbance to birds feeding and roosting. When you disturb the birds; what's known as �flushing,' it might look spectacular, but the energy that the birds expend going into flight can literally be the difference between life and death for them. It's as serious as that. These wetland spaces are important, not just on a European scale, but on a global scale. It's vital we look after them. So bring your binoculars, and watch the birds from afar."

There's another reason to protect Merseyside's coastal areas, particularly the sand dunes; because they could actually prove vital in safeguarding against flooding, too. Rev. Rooney, founder of the European wide Sand Dune and Shingle Network, says dune ecosystems actually help to shield the county's low lying coastal areas, acting as natural coastal flood protection features.

Speaking last year, he explained:- "Coastal dunes, if well managed and given the space to change and move, provide an excellent, natural flood protection function. It's really important to maintain them. But they're increasingly under threat. Fossil fuels throw nutrients up into the atmosphere, which then rain down on the dunes. This is a factor that results in undesirable vegetation becoming widespread; which is precisely what you don't want for dynamic dunes. If you've got lots of surface fixing vegetation, the wind can't get to it, making the dunes static, almost fossilised. The specialist dune wildlife we value and cherish can't persist under these conditions. And it's not just detrimental to wildlife as it impacts on the ability of dunes to act as effective and adaptable coastal flood protection features."

To learn more about Liverpool Hope University's Department of Geography and Environmental Science, as well as its brand new Conservation Biology Degree programme, head to:- Hope.AC.UK.

New polling by YouGov shows that Britons value farmers more than any other country

AN international YouGov survey of more than 22,000 people in 16 countries reveals the most and least respected professions. While Scientists and Doctors came out as the most respected professions worldwide; which is no surprise given how the world continues to be gripped by a Pandemic; 47% of UK respondents said they would be happy if their child became a farmer, compared to a global average of 23%. No other country in the survey showed a higher degree of respect for farmers than the UK. CLA President Mark Bridgeman said:- "Covid19 and Brexit have challenged food supply chains like never before. But it is also making people realise the extent of the UK's leadership in producing 1st class food. British farmers have some of the highest environmental and animal welfare standards in the world. People increasingly know that British produce is a badge of quality and sustainability; and we should promote it. I have no problem with annual campaigns such as Veganuary, but often you find negative stories circulating online about farming standards that use data that is either wholly incorrect, or that simply does not apply to British farmers. We need to constantly fight back and promote a positive image of the British farming industry; farmers provide us with world class food reared and grown on our doorstep, but also they are making strides in helping mitigate climate change, reverse biodiversity decline and support local economies through business diversification. Perhaps, in promoting this positive image, the Yougov survey shows we are pushing at an open door."

Sefton Council finalising testing arrangements to help detect and contain the Coronavirus Variant

PLANS are swiftly being finalised by Sefton Council as part of the national drive to detect and contain the new South African variant of the Covid19 virus. The South African Coronavirus variant has been identified in a number of locations across the country including in Sefton's Southport area. There is nothing to suggest the vaccines that are now being rolled out won't work against the variant but there are concerns that it is more transmissible, meaning it could be spread more easily and quickly.

Details of where a Mobile Testing Unit, due to be open, from Wednesday, 3 February 2021, can be sited are being finalised and a team of people to knock on doors to provide and collect home testing kits for local residents is being mobilised. The Council has been told supplies of test kits are due to be delivered later today and aims to start delivering them to people's homes tomorrow.

Sefton Council is also working with the DHSC on a range of targeted local publicity and information including posters, local radio and social media. This will include details of exactly what they can expect when someone calls with a test as well as information and advice on self isolation.

Sefton's Director of Public Health, Margaret Jones said:- "Finding cases of the new South African Covid19 variant and reducing the number of people who could be exposed to it is vital, which is why we are focusing testing facilities on the area and trying to make it as easy as possible for people to get tested. Anyone over 16 within the area can go along and get tested without an appointment and I would urge them to do so as soon as possible so we can nip any spread of the new variant in the bud."

Advice and support for people who do test positive with any strain of the Covid19 virus will be provided on the ground and online at:- Sefton.Gov.UK/Self-Isolation.

Mrs Jones repeated her reminder that whether they are in the identified area or not, people across Sefton should continue strictly following the national regulations to protect themselves and others. This means staying at home except for essential purposes such as shopping for essential supplies, going to work if we can't do so from home and providing care.

She also stressed the importance of people across the Borough maintaining at least 2 metres' distancing, wearing a mask or face covering while out and about and washing their hands frequently.

People outside of the area identified for the South African variant testing who develop Coronavirus symptoms of a high temperature, persistent new cough or loss of their sense of taste or smell, should book a test by calling:- 119 or visiting:- NHS.UK/Coronavirus.

Mobile Test Units have been operating in Sefton since April 2020. Units are scheduled at locations across the Borough through February 2021.

There are also walk through test sites at:- Bootle Town Hall, Crosby Library Car Park, Netherton Activity Centre and Southport Town Hall. Open every day, from 8am to 8pm, providing easy access to Covid19 tests for people who do not have access to a car and for those who have symptoms and should not travel by public transport.

Key workers and people with caring commitments during the lockdown should go regularly for SMART tests, which tell people if they are carrying the Covid19 virus without knowing in as little as 30 minutes.

Open from 8am to 8pm to make it easier for working people to attend them, the walk-through SMART testing sites are at Bootle Leisure Centre, Splash World in Southport and Aintree Racecourse. No appointments are needed.

Support and advice, including information on financial support, is available at:- Sefton.Gov.UK/Self-Isolation for anyone who is required to isolate because they have tested positive for Covid19.

LGA responds to record alcohol related deaths figures

RESPONDING to latest Office for National Statistics data showing a record number of deaths caused by alcohol during the first nine months of 2020, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said:- "Every 1 of these figures represents a life lost too soon to the effects of alcohol misuse, leaving family and friends in mourning. They are another tragic reminder that people with alcohol and other substance misuse problems need the right support and treatment, which Councils are committed to providing despite the ongoing pressures of the Pandemic. We know there is still a huge amount of unmet need, with more than half a million adults estimated to have alcohol dependency needing specialist treatment, while a high proportion of those receiving treatment are living in the most deprived areas. The causes of alcohol misuse and finding solutions for it are complex, but we know the positive impact that early intervention can have. Councils are doing all they can to help keep people healthy throughout their lives and reduce pressure on the NHS and social care, particularly during the Pandemic, but need certainty over their individual public health grants for next year as soon as possible."

RIP Hrn. Col. Sir Tom Moore 1920 - 2021 - "Because 1 step has the power to inspire on hundred more!"

THE retired British Army Officer, best known as Captain Tom Moore, who has raised more than �29m for NHS charities during the Coronavirus Pandemic and was hailed as an:- 'National inspiration' has sadly died in Bedford Hospital.

The 2nd World War veteran became a national symbol of the fight against Covid after raised almost �33m for NHS charities, by walking laps of his garden in the run up to his 100th Birthday. His efforts captured international attention of not just national media, but also international media and even masking him a Guinness World Record breaking fundraiser, becoming the oldest person to have a UK number 1 single when he recorded:- 'You'll Never Walk Alone' along with Michael Ball, last year! Following his efforts, the humble Captain was promoted to the rank of Honorary Colonel and given a Kighthood.

Today, the Queen has led tributes to Honorary Colonel Sir Tom Moore. A Buckingham Palace spokesman:- �The Queen is sending a private message of condolence to the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore. Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Cpt. Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year. Her thoughts, and those of the Royal Family, are with them, recognising the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world.�

10 Downing Street announced that the flag will fly at � mast in his memory. and Boris Johnson has spoken to Sir Tom�s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore to offer his condolences.

The Prime Minister told the Nation today:- �He became not just a national inspiration but a beacon of hope for the world� and was a �hero in the truest sense of the word."

In a statement he added:- �Captain Sir Tom Moore was a hero in the truest sense of the word. In the dark days of the Second World War he fought for freedom and in the face of this country�s deepest post war crisis he united us all, he cheered us all up, and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit. It is quite astonishing that at the age of 100 he raised more than �32 million for the NHS, and so gave countless others their own chance to thank the extraordinary men and women who have protected us through the pandemic. He became not just a national inspiration, but a beacon of hope for the world. Our thoughts are with his daughter Hannah and all his family."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer Tweeted:- "This is incredibly sad news. Captain Tom Moore put others 1st at a time of national crisis and was a beacon of hope for millions. Britain has lost a hero."

Also, Matt Hancock, following news of his death, Tweeted:- "I'm so sorry to hear that Captain Tom has passed away in Hospital. He was a great British hero that showed the best of our country and I send my best wishes to his family at this time."

Ministry of Defence said:- "Captain Sir Tom Moore was an inspiration to so many. His legacy will live on and continue to inspire the next generation of serving personnel."

The singer Michael Ball also added:- "A wonderful life so well lived and a hero and fighter to the very end. So very sad."

On 15 January 2021 he said:- "I've always believed things will get better. The sun will shine again." He was an inspiration to the Nation over the dark times of 2020. Let's hope his legacy lives on and the sun will shine again. Our thoughts go out to Hannah Ingram-Moore and the rest of Honorary Colonel Sir Tom Moore's family, as well as his friends.

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:- 16,840 cases and the total number now stand at:- 3,852,623 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:-1,449 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:- 108,013, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 112,660.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 32,466. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 3,726 Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 2,642

In England, there are a total of:- 3,373,085 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 529,396 confirmed cases.

The number of laboratory confirmed cases within the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-

Area and number of confirmed cases:- Risen by:-

Liverpool City Region

Nation Lockdown

National UK Restrictions

► Liverpool, 43,849 confirmed cases.
174

► Halton, 10,750 confirmed cases.
67

► Knowsley, 15,720 confirmed cases. 72

► Sefton, 21,373 confirmed cases.
105

► St. Helens, 14,745 confirmed cases.
110

► Wirral, 22,114 confirmed cases.

102

Colour Key:- 0 1 to 10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 100 100 to 199 200 & over

The number of laboratory confirmed cases within Local Authorities around the Liverpool City Region, since start of the Pandemic, are as follows:-

► Blackburn with Darwen, 15,982 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 8,133 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 21,782 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 14,908 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 18,010 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 18,899 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 85,276 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 46,085 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 20,111 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 11,571 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 18,321 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 19,891 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 17,581 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 15,442 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 14,454 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 15,751 confirmed cases

► Wigan, 25,173 confirmed cases.

Total UK people who have received vaccination

1st Dose 2nd Dose

9,646,715 496,796

Jab Stats correct as of 1 February 2021

The vaccination programme began on 8 December 2020 with people receiving the vaccine developed by Pfizer / BioNTech, and people began receiving the Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine from 4 January 2021. Both vaccines are given as 2 doses, at least 21 days apart, for a full vaccination course.

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 R number is estimated at:- 0.7 to 1.1, with a daily infection growth rate range of:- -5% to 0%, as of 29 January 2021.

Previous 24hr Data

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