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Pancake Day 2021

YES, it's Pancake Day aka Pancake Tuesday, or as it should be called:- 'Shrove Tuesday.' Today marks the last night before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for both the Catholic Church and Church Of England, as well as the start of the run up to Easter.

Did you know? On Pancake Day the Anglo-Saxon Catholics would attend confession at their Parish Church where they would be:- 'shriven' or forgiven for their sins? They also make Pancakes with any remaining eating meat, eggs and animal produce before abstain from them for 40 days!

Also, on Pancake Day the Anglo-Saxon Catholic Church would ring a bell for people to attend Church, which became known as the pancake bell. As it rang at noon, as a reminder to stop working, people would then begin to prepare pancakes! As legend has it, this is how the Pancake Race traditions started, as people would run home to get them made, and eaten, before it was too late...

We are also told that Pancakes are thought to have been eaten in Ancient Roman times when they were made from wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk? It is thought that this the origin of the traditional recipe that was then adopted by the early Christian Church as a quick and effective way to use up all the remaining foods, before Lent.

Interestingly, we are told that in the US it's called:- 'Mardi Gras' in French or in English:- 'Fat Tuesday,' because we use up fatty foods before Lent.

Occupancy in Care Homes

CARE England, the largest representative body of independent adult social care providers, has written the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, encouraging him to put in place a system of occupancy strategy in the Care Home sector to support its future sustainability. The strategies enacted in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all offer well trodden examples where this can work in an effective manner.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:- "Decreased occupancy rates in the adult social care sector have had an adverse impact upon adult social care provider sustainability. Decreased occupancy rates have, in turn, increased care costs per head. This is at a time when care providers have been confronted by an array of Covid19 related costs."

Care England has also written to every Director of Adult Social Care in the country regarding fee rates and the need to work in partnership with providers to ensure the best means of recovery in conjunction with quality care with those in need.

The majority of care providers' costs are fixed and cannot in the main be reduced despite dropping occupancy levels. This includes their heightened staffing costs. All these costs will therefore have to continue to be endured despite significant drops in income. The net effect is that the financial pressures caused by dropping occupancy levels will continue (along with increased costs) well into and beyond this forthcoming financial year.

Martin Green continues:- "An occupancy strategy would be a very effective way of increasing the sustainability of the adult social care sector in the coming weeks and months. This is of fundamental importance given the role which adult social care has, and continues, to play in England's response to the Covid19 Pandemic."

Vauxhall donates 70 laptops and desktop computers to local Schools

THE Ellesmere Port Vauxhall plant will be donating 70 refurbished laptops and desktops local to Schools and educational institutions to help students cope with remote learning. With School doors closed across the UK due to the ongoing Covid19 Pandemic, students are having to rely on computers at home as part of remote learning. The 70 laptops and desktops donated by Vauxhall are refurbished models, no longer used by staff at the Ellesmere Port plant, and will be donated to Schools to help students who may not have access to a computer of their own. The laptops and computers have been split between the following Schools and educational institutions:-

► South Wirral High School, Eastham.

► Rivacre Valley Primary School, Ellesmere Port.

► The Catholic HighSchool, Chester.

► Upton Hall School, Upton.

► Wirral University Teaching Hospital, Birkenhead.

► Chester and District Committee for Deaf People, Chester.

Paul Adams, Operations Specialist, at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant, said:- "Remote learning places a lot of additional stress for Schools and families, with computers an expensive investment; especially during such uncertain times. Through the donation of 70 refurbished laptops and desktops, we hope to make a small impact, and help families and Schools cope throughout the Pandemic. The donated laptops have had an immediate impact for the Schools and educational institutions."

Kate Docherty, Headteacher, at Rivacre Valley Primary School, in Ellesmere Port, said:- "We are extremely grateful to Vauxhall for this very kind donation. It has been a difficult few weeks for parents who are trying to home School with limited resources, so on behalf of the School, parents and pupils we thank Vauxhall for reaching out to us."

Simon Goodwin, Headteacher, at South Wirral HighSchool, in Eastham, said:- "We have managed to provide equipment to all of our students, but these laptops will help to provide an additional resource to those pupils who have to share devices whilst studying at home. We are extremely grateful to Vauxhall and Ellesmere Port for their generosity."

LGA responds to expansion to shielding

RESPONDING to the Government's announcement of an increase in those asked to shield to just under 4 million people, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said:- "During the Pandemic Councils have helped those clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to Covid19 to access food, to tackle loneliness and meet any social care needs. Councils have also delivered a wide range of support to others who fall outside this group, such as households who are in or at risk of financial hardship, together with supporting the vaccine roll out for this and other priority groups. The expansion of the vaccine priority list and advice for all CEV people to shield until the end of March may cause worry for people and lead to an increase in requests for support. It is crucial that Councils receive regular access to data and long term funding so they can reach out to everyone who needs support as quickly as possible. Supporting our most vulnerable people has been Councils' number 1 priority throughout the Pandemic and they stand ready to do all they can to help people more at risk to the impacts of Covid19. They will also continue working across Government and with their local partners to keep informing the offer of help to all those who need it."

Surge Testing Update:- Norwood ward testing completed

THE surge testing operation to understand the spread of a South African variant of Covid19, in Norwood Ward, Southport has now been completed. Testing continues in Dukes and Cambridge wards. Door to door delivery of home testing kits has stopped, and the Mobile Test Unit, located at the former Kew Park and Ride will close, at 6.30pm, on Wednesday, 17 February 2021.

Initial numbers from the operation, which is aimed at understanding any community spread of a variant of Covid19, known as SARS-CoV-2 (or VOC-202012/02) which originated in South Africa, show around 90% of the tests delivered have been completed and collected.

Any residents whose kits may have been missed for collection are asked to phone Sefton Council on:- 03451400845, leaving their name and address, and the Council will arrange for the test kits to be collected.

Sefton's Director of Public Health, Margaret Jones, said:- "Our teams have visited just shy of 7,000 addresses in the last 2 weeks; which has been no mean feat. The residents in the areas tested rightly deserve a huge thank you for being so willing to support us in this important task and help Government scientists learn more about this disease. All positive Covid19 tests from our targeted testing in Norwood Ward will be sent for genomic sequencing. This will help us to understand the spread of Covid19 variants locally. The community have been magnificent with people being so supportive on the doorstep and wanting to do whatever they can to help our efforts. Over the last few days in wind, rain and snow a dedicated group of Council staff, other agencies and volunteers have pulled out all the stops to make this operation a reality and I cannot thank each and every one of them enough."

Although the targeted testing in Norwood is complete, residents can still have a Covid19 test done, at Splashworld (if no symptoms) or can book a test, at Southport Town Hall, if they do have symptoms. Alternatively, they can call:- 119 and request for a home testing kit to be delivered.

Residents in Cambridge and Dukes wards who are aged 16 or over, should still go and have a test done at the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre mobile test unit on the Promenade, or can wait for our team to visit them with a home testing kit.

To help stop the spread of the virus and its variants, aside from getting a test, residents should be staying at home as much as possible and only be going out for essential purposes; such as shopping for essential supplies, going to work if we can't do so from home, providing care and daily exercise.

Margaret Jones continued:- "Everyone in all of our communities should continue to follow the national lockdown restrictions in order to protect our most vulnerable. There are no additional restrictions in place for those areas where surge testing is still being carried out, but we do encourage residents of those areas take extra care and try to limit their time away from home. People who live and work in these surge areas can use the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre mobile test unit on the Promenade, as long as they don't have Coronavirus symptoms of a high temperature, persistent new cough or a loss of taste or smell. It doesn't take long to get a test and some people may want to call in for theirs while they are out taking their daily exercise."

Testing runs from:- 8am to 6.30pm, however it is recommended to arrive by:- 6pm, to ensure you are tested, there is no need to book in advance.

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:- 10,625 cases and the total number now stand at:- 4,058,468 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:-799 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:- 118,195, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 129,498.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 21,001. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 2,805 Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 1,487.

In England, there are a total of:- 3,556,039 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 558,812 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, 46,130 confirmed cases.
120

► Halton, 11,329 confirmed cases.
37

► Knowsley, 16,619 confirmed cases. 47

► Sefton, 22,612 confirmed cases.
50

► St. Helens, 15,873 confirmed cases.
76

► Wirral, 23,155 confirmed cases.

60

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, 16,732 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 8,626 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 23,281 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 15,703 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 19,120 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 19,991 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 90,019 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 48,434 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 21,062 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 12,380 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 19,210 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 21,060 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 18,746 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 16,303 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 15,182 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 16,604 confirmed cases

► Wigan, 26,446 confirmed cases.

Total UK people who have received vaccination

1st Dose 2nd Dose

15,576,107 546,165

Jab Stats correct as of 15 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 0.9 with a daily infection growth rate range of:- -5% to -2%, as of 12 February 2021.

Previous 24hr Data

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