Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

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PM's National Covid19 Announcement

AS reported Coronavirus cases rise within England by over 2,000 cases for the 4th day running, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has addressed the nation and said that:- "we must act" to avoid another lockdown. He then set out a new:- "rule of 6" that will restrict gatherings to a maximum of 6 people. He also added that this new rule will now be enforced by the Police with fines or arrests.

A new trend is also being seen, with reported Coronavirus cases now being more prevalent within the younger population, with 54 cases per 100,000 in the 19 to 21 year old age group.

In a public statement Boris Johnson said:- "It breaks my heart to have to insist on these restrictions."

The new "rule of 6" in England means:-

► Within England social gatherings of more than 6 people will not be allowed in law, from Monday, 14 September 2020.

► The new rule applies to people within:- private homes, indoors and outdoors, and places such as pubs, restaurants, cafes and public outdoor spaces.

► The new rules does not apply to:- Schools and workplaces, or weddings, funerals and organised team sports.

► People who ignore enforcement orders, carried out by the Police, could be fined ₤100, doubling with each offence to a maximum of ₤3,200.

► The new riles will apply to all ages, but a full list of exemptions is due to be published before the law changes within England.

Prime Minister, Johnson also added that there would be a range of measures to enforce Coronavirus restrictions more effectively. The new measures will include:-

► Opening hours could be restricted in some areas, like in Bolton where venues must already close between 10pm and 5am.

► New "Covid Secure Marshals" will be introduced to help ensure social distancing is being applied within Town and City Centres.

► Venues such as pubs and restaurants will now be legally required to request contact details of everyone visiting the premises. This record will then be held for 21 days and provide it to NHS Test and Trace if required. Failure to comply with these new Tracks and Trace rules will see the venue facing fines of ₤1,000.

► For those travelling, the passenger locator forms, which are filled out by travellers returning to the UK, will be simplified and Border Force will increase enforcement of the quarantine rules.

The Prime Minister additionally added that he wants to see new Coronavirus swab or saliva tests to be introduced, that will have a turned around of 90 minutes (1 hours and 30 minutes) or even as quick as 20 minutes:- "in the near future." This he says will help to identify people who do not have Coronavirus and are not infectious. If this is possible, it would let people go about their every day lives:- "in a more 'normal' way" even if a vaccine or treatment is not available.

Postponed Great British Spring Clean is back... as the Great British September Clean

ENVIRONMENTAL charity Keep Britain Tidy's flagship campaign, which was postponed in March as the country went into lockdown, will re-launch this weekend. The campaign has one aim; to get as many people as possible out and about clearing up the litter that blights every part of the country, from the remotest corner of our countryside to our beautiful beaches.

Keep Britain Tidy Deputy CEO Richard McIlwain said:- "The need for a national clean up has never been greater. Over the summer, as lockdown eased, we saw an epidemic in littering, particularly in our parks and on our beaches. This campaign is about encouraging everyone to do their bit to clean up our beautiful country and make a difference to our environment. Litter picking quickly transforms an area from one that looks neglected into a place that people can feel proud of. At the same time, this act of caring sends a loud, clear message to those that selfishly throw their rubbish on the ground that it is not acceptable."

The campaign, in partnership with the Daily Mail, is made possible thanks to headline partners Co-op, Mars Wrigley, Red Bull and Wilko and is supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery. The campaign is also supported by Clear Channel, Coca-Cola, Pepsi MAX and Walkers.

To find out how you can get involved and stay safe at the same time, whether that's by pledging to pick up some litter in the course of your daily routine or organising a clean up with up to 5 friends or family, visit:- KeepBritainTidy.Org/GBSeptemberClean.

LGA responds to PM's announcement on tougher Council Powers

RESPONDING to the Prime Minister's announcement that councils will be given tougher powers to tackle businesses flouting COVID19 rules, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, Chair of the LGA's Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:- "Councils continue to work tirelessly to support communities through this pandemic and to ensure they are prepared for the threat of a potential second wave. Most hospitality businesses are working hard, supported by Councils, to ensure they comply with COVID19 rules. However, some premises are not collecting contact details of customers so they can be reached in the event of a local outbreak. This is clearly a danger to communities, putting people at risk of infection so it is good that this will become mandatory, as Councils have called for. While most businesses are implementing the necessary measures to protect people's safety, we are pleased the Government has acted on LGA calls for councils to have powers to take action when rules are being flouted and communities are put at risk of infection. These measures will mean they can act quickly and proactively in cracking down on places that flout COVID19 guidance, to prevent problems in the first place instead of only being able to act when it is too late. We need to quickly see further detail on how the Government's COVID19 Secure Marshal scheme is intended to work, and any new responsibilities for councils in this area will have to be fully funded. Given the shortage of environmental health officers, it is positive that the Government has committed to a register of EHOs, and the LGA will continue discussions to take this forward."

Steve Rotheram Launches England's First Land Commission Focused on Community Wealth Building

STEVE Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has announced the establishment of England's 1st Land Commission specifically established to review the use of public land for community wealth building. Since the 1980's, land has come to be primarily treated as a financial asset, serving as a collateral against which banks create mortgage debt. This has led to rising house prices and housing shortages, and has reduced overall productivity, with an increasing share of investment diverted to land from other more productive areas.

Steve Rotheram said:- "The unprecedented circumstances of the COVID19 pandemic, with all its economic consequences, make it even more important for us to ensure that we can wring the maximum possible community value from our land assets to encourage sustainable economic recovery. I've brought together a Commission made up of senior figures from the worlds of academia, property development and planning. I have challenged them to think imaginatively and come back to me with radical recommendations for how we can make the best use of publicly owned land to make this the fairest and most socially inclusive City Region in the country. Through success stories such as Baltic Creative we've already seen alternative, socially conscious approaches to land management in the City Region. I can't wait to hear the Commission's recommendations for how we improve the management and use of land to deliver the greatest benefit for the people of the Liverpool City Region."

The commission, which has its 1st meeting, held on Wednesday, 9 September 2020, will be coordinated by the Combined Authority in collaboration with the leading think tank the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES). Commissioners will participate in four online meetings, over the course of September, October and November 2020 and CLES will take responsibility for drafting the final report of the commission, based on the output of the meetings.

Neil McInroy, Director of CLES, said:- "We are very excited to be working with Liverpool City Region on this important community wealth building project. Far too often, land use in the UK has ended up being dominated by the pursuit of corporate profit, rather than serving the economic, social and environmental needs of the whole community. It's fanciful to wait for things to �go back to normal' after COVID19; instead we should seize the moment to do things differently. The Land Commission is a pioneering step in this direction, that will serve as an example for other City Regions across the country."

The aim of the meetings will be to develop creative approaches to use of land in the region, for example through innovative processes and ownership models (eg. Community Land Trusts and Public Commons Partnerships). The commission will be action oriented, with the aim of generating ideas for concrete projects, rather than only general recommendations.

The Land Commission is made up of the following members:-

► Claire Dove OBE, DL - Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Crown Representative.

► Hugh Ellis - Policy Director, Town and Country Planning Association .

► Indy Johar - Executive Director, Dark Matter Laboratories.

► Britt Jurgensen - Co-creator, Homebaked Community Land Trust.

► Liam Kelly - Chief Executive Officer, Make Liverpool CIC.

► Professor Alex Lord - Lever Chair of Town and Regional Planning, University of Liverpool.

► Kathie Pollard - Policy Officer, Scottish Land Commission.

► Erika Rushton - Director, The Beautiful Ideas Company.

► Guy Shrubsole - Campaigner and Author of:- 'Who Owns England?'

► Amahra Spence - Director, MAIA Creatives

► Kate Swade - Director, Shared Assets.

► Dr Matthew Thompson - Leverhulme Research Fellow, Heseltine Institute, University of Liverpool.

LGA responds to NAO report on childhood obesity

RESPONDING to a National Audit Office report on childhood obesity, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, said:- "Childhood obesity is 1 of the biggest public health challenges we face and this report is another stark reminder of the urgent need for radical action to combat this. Councils are already working hard to help their communities live healthier and more active lives, including initiatives such as:- Healthy Food Schemes in Schools and Nurseries and specialised weight management services. Greater powers for Councils are also needed to tackle the clustering of existing takeaways and restricting junk food advertising, alongside extra investment in other Council run programmes such as exercise referral schemes and offering free or reduced-cost sport, if we are to meet the Government's ambition of halving childhood obesity by 2030. The forthcoming Spending Review is an opportunity to reverse the ₤700 million reduction in Councils' public health grant over the past 5 years. The grant should also be increased to match the growth in overall NHS funding to at least ₤3.9 billion a year by 2024/25."

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:- 2,659 cases and the total number now stand at:- 355,219, that includes tests carried out by commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National totals.

The number of COVID19 associated UK fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be 8 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:- 41,594.

The number of COVID19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 843. The current number of COVID19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 80. Daily number of COVID19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 124.

In England, there are a total of:- 306,555 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 57,220 confirmed cases.

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

► Liverpool, 3,158 confirmed cases.

► Halton, 783 confirmed cases.

► Knowsley, 1,155 confirmed cases.

► Sefton, 1,803 confirmed cases.

► St. Helens, 1,366 confirmed cases.

► Wirral, 2,423 confirmed cases.

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

► Blackburn with Darwen, 1,963 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 1,134 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 2,841 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 1,728 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 2,490 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 2,219 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 8,766 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 4,726 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 3,105 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 1,563 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 2,429 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 2,041 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 2,082 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 2,126 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 1,790 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 1,542 confirmed cases.

► Wigan, 2,442 confirmed cases.

WARNING - Some areas within England which are currently in Lockdown or have Enhanced Restrictions

LOCKDOWN restrictions have been eased in:- Stockport, Burnley, Hyndburn, parts of Bradford, excluding Bradford City and Keighley Town, parts of Calderdale, excluding:- Halifax, and parts of Kirklees, excluding:- Dewsbury and Batley.

According to Government rules, people living in these areas can now:-

Socialise in groups of up to 2 households indoors or in private gardens

► Stay overnight at somebody else's home but must try to social distance

► Book close contact services such as facials and brow or eyelash treatments

► Visit bowling alleys, roller rinks, soft play centres and casinos

► Measures were imposed at the end of July amid a rise in cases.

► Stockport has joined Wigan in being allowed to have 2 households socialise indoors.

But in:- Bolton, Trafford, Manchester, Salford, Rochdale, Bury and Tameside it is still banned. In Oldham people are advised not to meet up with other households outdoors as well.

Daily reported Covid deaths are now measured across the UK as deaths that occurred within 28 days of the 1st laboratory confirmed positive Covid 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.

Liverpool City Region COVID19 Updates ... and Important Emergency Notices ...

Total UK cases COVID19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region

Liverpool City Region COVID19 Updates
... and Important Emergency Notices ...