Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

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CARE England, who are the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has written to the Minister of State for Social Care, at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), to emphasise the serious and growing concerns in relation to the absence of central guidance and support regarding vaccination as a condition of deployment, particularly around exemptions, the wider consultation, boosters and flu.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:- "We are now under 2 weeks away from the 16 September 2021, which represents the last date for care home workers to get their 1st dose so that they are fully vaccinated by the time the regulations come into force. We are yet to receive any clarity as to when we can expect the process or guidance around exemptions to be launched. This continued lack of clarity undermines the workability of the policy and only accentuates the current workforce issues within the sector."

Within the Coronavirus vaccination of people working or deployed in Care Homes; operational guidance it states that:- "Guidance for certification is being developed and we [the DHSC] will add a link to this guidance here as soon as it's published." However, according to Care England, this guidance has not been published, to date.

Compounding this issue, Care England have claimed that, the policy is exclusive to residential adult social care settings which has continued to undermine the parity between the NHS and social care. Our membership has evidenced that the policy is already impacting the recruitment of staff; the policy has created a 2 tiered system. Staff who work in residential care who do not want to be vaccinated are likely to transfer into home care or the NHS. As such, clarity in relation to when the wider consultation, which will encompass the wider social care sector, the NHS and flu vaccine, needs to be provided as a matter of urgency.

Martin Green added that:- "Providers are in the midst of a perfect storm. The sector is operating against a backdrop of a multitude of workforce pressures and this lack of clarity only compounds these issues. We implore the Department to remain transparent with the sector and give it the help that it needs, as after all this is a centrally imposed policy which the sector is now having to manage, largely without central support."

THE total number of UK Coronavirus (Covid19) infections that have been laboratory confirmed, within the UK, has risen by:- 41,192 cases and the total number now stand at:- 7,018,927 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:- 45 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:- 133,274, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 156,119.

In England, there are a total of:- 6,046,799 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 964,282 confirmed cases.

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

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Total UK cases Covid19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region