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Liverpool City Region
COVID19
Updates
... and Important
Emergency Notices ...
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This page last updated on 16
September 2020
Sefton's Public Health
Director stresses Coronavirus test are only for people with symptoms
WITH a recent survey of the
country's Coronavirus testing sites showing a quarter of people turning up for
tests did not have symptoms, Sefton's Director of Public Health, Margaret Jonesm
has reminded residents they should only book a test of they have symptoms. Mrs
Jones said:- "Testing is a crucial tool in helping prevent the spread of
Covid19, but with the capacity of labs to process tests currently facing an
enormous challenge, people should not book a test unless they have symptoms or
have not been advised to take a test by a Doctor or a Public Health
professional. People who do have any of the Coronavirus symptoms, which are a
high temperature, a persistent new cough or a loss of taste or smell must
isolate immediately for 10 days and must stay isolated even if they are waiting
test appointment at a nearby location to become available. The rest of their
household should self isolate with them while they wait for the results, but if
they don't have symptoms, they shouldn't get a test. I know it is frustrating,
but it is the same for all of us and it's the best way of making sure we don't
pass on the virus to potentially vulnerable friends and loved ones for whom
Coronavirus could be very serious or even fatal."
Social distancing, using face masks and coverings where required and when social
distancing is not possible and frequent and thorough hand washing are also vital
tools in helping prevent the spread of the virus added Mrs Jones. She
continued:- "Additionally, anyone identified as a contact of a positive
case through Test and Trace must isolate for the full 14 days even if for some
reason they get a negative test during that period. But once again, those people
should only book a test if they develop a high temperature, a new continuous
cough or they lose their sense of taste or smell."
Liverpool City Region and
Cheshire Leaders Call for Urgent Deployment of Testing Capacity
THE Metro Mayor of Liverpool City
Region and the Leaders of 4 Cheshire Local Authorities, on Wednesday, 16
September 2020, called on the Government to urgently deploy more Covid19 testing
capacity in the Region. Merseyside was last week identified by the Government as
an:- 'area of concern,' with Covid19 cases are rising across the
Region. An immediate increase in testing capacity is now urgent to protect the
most vulnerable members of the community and avoid further local lockdowns, say
the Leaders and Mayor. The call comes jointly from;- Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor
of the Liverpool City Region; Cllr Louise Gittins, Leader, Cheshire West and
Chester Council; Cllr Sam Corcoran, Leader, Cheshire East Council; Cllr Rob
Polhill, Leader, Halton Borough Council and Cllr Russ Bowden, Leader, Warrington
Borough Council. Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region said:-
"Today we have come together to speak with one voice and urge the Government
to immediately deploy additional testing capacity in our Region. The North West
currently has 24% of England's Covid19 cases but only around 15% of the national
testing capacity. This cannot be right and is hampering our effort to protect
the most vulnerable in our communities and avoid further, more drastic and
damaging lockdown measures. My colleagues and I are fully committed to working
in partnership with national Government, but we need the right support and
resource to help us at a Regional level. We hope for an immediate, positive
response from Government, which is fundamental to us getting the virus under
control in our Region."
Get tested at new
Coronavirus local testing site on the Wirral
A walk through Coronavirus
testing facility has opened at Liscard Community Facilities Complex on the
Wirral, as part of the Government's UK wide drive to improve the accessibility
of Coronavirus testing for communities.
Testing is only available for those either with Coronavirus symptoms; a high
temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense or taste; or
those who have been asked to get tested by a Doctor, Public Health Professional
or by their local Council. Anyone with one or more of these symptoms should book
a test on:- NHS.UK
or by calling:- 119. You can expect your result the next day.
The site is easily accessible without a car. Those being tested will be required
to follow Public Health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by
taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face
covering throughout, including travelling to and from the Testing Centre.
Anyone attending an appointment at a walk-through testing will be provided with
guidance on getting to and from the test site safely.
Testing at the new site started, on Wednesday, 16 September 2020, with more
appointments available each day. Testing is available for everyone, with
additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.
The site is part of the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities created
in British history, including:- 75 drive through sites, 90 walk through sites,
236 mobile units, home testing and satellite kits and three mega laboratories.
Anyone testing positive for the virus in England will be contacted by NHS Test
and Trace to help them track their contacts. This will help people to identify
who they may have been in close contact with, protecting others from further
transmission.
Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from NHS Test and Trace,
advising them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly
spreading the virus. They will be advised to also book at a test if they develop
symptoms.
Health Minister Lord Bethell said:- "Testing is proving an effective way
to contain the virus so we are scaling testing capacity and walk-through centres
to make it even easier for everyone to get a free Coronavirus test. Our NHS Test
and Trace service will contact you if you test positive or if you have been in
close contact with someone who has the virus. I urge anyone with symptoms to
book a test today, and anyone contacted by NHS Test and Trace to follow their
advice to protect those around them from the virus."
Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for
Health Protection, said:- "Getting a test is now faster and easier than
ever. Local sites will mean anyone who has symptoms can get a free test quickly
to find out whether they have the virus and need to stay at home, or can safely
return to work and get back to the things they love. Over 95% of people will get
their results the next day, and anyone who tests positive will be contacted by
NHS Test and Trace to help to prevent the spread of the virus."
The Testing Centre is being operated in partnership with Mitie and will offer
self administered tests. Simon Venn, Chief Government and Strategy Officer,
Mitie, said:- "Our priority during the pandemic is to support the nation's
efforts to fight Covid19 and help keep the country running. Testing is a
critical part of the UK's strategy to combat Coronavirus and we're proud to
support the Government with this vital task. A big thank you to all the NHS
staff, Mitie employees and other frontline heroes in Wirral, who are working
tirelessly to keep us all safe."
In addition to walk through testing sites, there are over 75 Regional drive
through test sites and 236 mobile testing units which travel the UK to offer
Coronavirus testing. They respond to need, setting up test sites at:- Care
Homes, Police Stations and Prisons. The Government has set up a home
testing service, supported by Amazon's logistics network and other commercial
partners. Home test kits can be delivered to someone's door so they can test
themselves and their family without leaving the house. See more information on
visiting a local test site on
YouTube.
Major concern as Covid19
cases rise in Liverpool
MAYOR of Liverpool Joe Anderson
and Director of Public Health, Matt Ashton are urging people to stay Covid19
safe following a worrying rise in cases in the City. Latest figures show that
the rate per 100,000 is 106.4; and in just 1 week, 7 September to 13 September
2020, there were 530 positive cases. If the rate continues to rise at this
level, it is expected that new restrictive measures will be enforced across the
City.
People are
being advised to follow the simple guidelines to keep themselves, and those
around them, safe:-
►
Wash hands regularly.
►
Wear a face covering when out and about
(unless medically exempt)
►
Maintain social distancing at all times.
►
Void businesses / venues which are not
implementing Covid safe guidelines.
Public Health chiefs are also advising people to
only get tested if they have symptoms of the virus. These are:-
►
A high temperature.
►
A new or continuous cough.
►
A change or loss of sense of smell or
taste.
Mayor Joe Anderson said:- "We are in a really critical time and as a City,
and a community, we have to do the right thing. Even at this stage we need to
take responsibility and we could potentially avoid going in to lockdown or
reduce the amount of time we're in lockdown for. The advice is simple to follow
and just by washing our hands, keeping our distance, wearing face coverings, and
avoiding non-Covid safe businesses, we could turn the tide on the number of
positive cases. We all have a part to play here so I urge everyone to work
together to protect our family, our friends and our City."
Northern Farming Conference
2020 cancelled
THIS year's Northern Farming
Conference has been cancelled as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
The 11th Northern Farming Conference was due to be held on Wednesday 4 November
2020 at Hexham Auction Mart, but organisers have taken the decision to cancel
the event.
Matthew Curry, chair of the organising committee said:- "As this national
crisis seems to re-escalate, and in line with Government's regulations, we feel
there is no alternative, but to cancel this year's conference. Some of our
confirmed speakers for this year's cancelled event have already committed
themselves to take the stage at next year's conference which is scheduled to
take place on 3 November 2021, at Hexham Auction Mart."
In 2019 more than 200 delegates attend this popular conference which has become
an unmissable event on the farming and landowning calendar. The conference is a
joint venture between, Armstrong Watson, Catchment Sensitive Farming, the CLA,
Gibson and Co Solicitors, Hexham and Northern Marts, North East Grains, Strutt
and Parker, and Womble Bond Dickinson.
Flu Vaccination
Campaign for Health and Social Care Workers
CARE England, the largest
representative body for independent providers of adult
social care, has welcomed the launch of the flu vaccination
campaign for health and social care workers but raised
concerns about the delivery mechanisms. Professor
Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:-
"In what is likely to be a difficult winter for the
social care sector, given the potential impact of both flu
and Covid19, it is imperative that flu vaccinations are
rolled out in a timely and efficient manner to health and
social care staff and residents to encourage universal
uptake. The delivery of the campaign must match the
impetus."
With Covid19 still in a high state of transmission it is
particularly important for all social care staff and
residents to get the flu vaccine this year. The flu
vaccination will help stop the spread of flu, which is
enormously significant for social care settings as residents
are particularly vulnerable to both flu and Covid19.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working
with the NHS to make the flu vaccine easier to access for
social care workers this year. All frontline social care
workers should seek to be vaccinated due to their increased
risk of catching the flu. The free flu vaccination is the
best form of reducing the winter pressures borne by the
health and social care sector, whilst also protecting the
people cared for, team members, and family and friends.
If you are a social care employer running a local campaign,
please visit PHE's Campaign Resource Centre for support in
engaging your colleagues; PHE have free print, digital and
social campaign materials available. Professor Green
continues:- "It is more important than ever this year
that the DHSC and NHS work to ensure that flu vaccinations
reach the frontline in order to protect both those on the
frontline and some of society's most vulnerable. It must now
be ensured both social care residents and staff are not only
eligible for flu vaccinations, but that they are also
readily available and easy to access."
Government
"losing control of Coronavirus" says MP
MP Bill Esterson says the
Government is:- "rapidly losing control of
Coronavirus" as testing capacity was cut in Sefton
despite increasing demand. The North West has 25% of the
Covid cases nationwide but only 15% of the testing capacity.
Additionally, only 8% of tests are now being returned within
24 hours, whereas a few days ago it was over 60%.
Mr Esterson, who is the MP for Sefton Central, said without
testing and a quick turnaround in results, the virus could
not be isolated and controlled, which would lead to its
spread and to loss of lives. He criticised the Government
for not building NHS lab capacity sooner instead of relying
on private firms who were not up to the job to carry out
test processing.
The MP tweeted:- "Only 8% of Covid19 test results are
being returned within 24 hours. It was over 60% at the start
of September. The Government is rapidly losing control of
the crisis."
A follow up tweet read:- "Test appointments have been
cut in Sefton because there is no lab capacity to get the
results. This is so dangerous. Without tests, there's no
tracing. Without tracing there's no isolation by people who
may be infected. The Government must use the NHS labs and
build capacity."
Constituents have been contacting Mr Esterson to say they
have struggled to access tests, being offered Burnley and
Doncaster as sites even though there are Drive Through and
Walk in Centre, in Southport and Bootle. For large periods
of time, no tests have been available to residents in his
Sefton Central constituency.
The Chief Executive of Sefton Council, Dwayne Johnson,
tweeted yesterday:- "Anticipating more challenges with
booking tests in Sefton today; lab capacity? North west has
25% of cases so critical testing is available to our area in
support of the NHS, keep our Schools and businesses open and
protect vulnerable; working with partners today."
Today he added:- "Testing significantly reduced at
Bootle walk in today; but we do have Litherland Drive
Through. We have raised this and understand it's pressures
in systems, news that Sefton rates are lower, but still
rising."
The testing fiasco comes after the World Health Organisation
special envoy on Covid19, David Nabarro, told the Foreign
Affairs Committee that the situation the UK finds itself in
is:- "really embarrassing" and "grotesque."
The WHO expert said the pandemic was "much worse than any
science fiction" and that the world was only at the
beginning of the "troubles."
He told MPs:- "This is really serious. We're not even
in the middle of it yet. The virus is really at the
beginning of its troubles throughout our world and I
personally believe that it is going to have a really
negative impact. None of us find the present situation
anything other than really horrible, really grotesque,
really embarrassing. It's a terrible situation, a health
issue has got so out of control it's knocking the world
into, not just a recession, but a huge economic contraction
which would probably double the number of poor people,
double the number of malnourished, lead to hundreds of
millions of small businesses going bankrupt. It's awful. And
we really, really are, all of us, deeply saddened and
troubled by it."
Alarming, on Monday, WHO's Director General, Dr Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that while deaths remain at a
relatively low level, the average number of daily cases
across Europe is now higher than during the 1st peak of the
pandemic.
Mr Esterson said:- "Dr Nabarro's comments have thrown
into sharp relief just how badly the Government has managed
the pandemic. They are rapidly losing control of Coronavirus
which will lead to greater spread and more loss of lives. Dr
Nabarro said the current situation could have been avoided
had countries invested in pandemic preparedness and paid
more attention to emergency alerts made by the WHO in
January. This Government failed to invest in lab capacity
over the summer months when they had every opportunity to do
so and when they knew they had to prepare for the school,
colleges and universities going back and for more people
going to workplaces. They pumped billions of pounds into
private sector companies who did not have the expertise in
Public Health and in test analysis. The private sector has
failed the country as they were always going to do because
this should always have been carried out by the public
sector which had lab capacity and expertise, which has not
been used. The Government have been trying to use students
as cheap labour and have now found that as universities go
back they are short staffed. This was always going to happen
and the fact the Government did not see it coming shows they
do not plan, do not understand Public Health and do not
understand the need for the Government to intervene
decisively in a crisis, especially in the biggest Public
Health and economic crisis in modern history. Getting a grip
of this crisis is not only vital for the health of the
nation and to save lives, it is also crucial to keeping
children in school, ensuring 1 million students can return
to their studies and in keeping businesses open. Why didn't
the health secretary use the summer to significantly expand
NHS lab capacity and is he now going to learn the lessons
from this and build up our NHS services?"
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 3,991 cases and the
total number now stand at:- 378,219, 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 20 according to the
Department of Health. The total number of deaths of people
who have had a positive test results confirmed by a Public
Health or NHS laboratory is:- 41,684.
The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:-
901. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in
mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 115. Daily
number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 141.
In England, there are a total of:- 326,425 confirmed cases.
North West total of:- 63,376 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,
3,728
confirmed cases. |
136 |
|
►
Halton,
860
confirmed cases. |
31 |
|
►
Knowsley,
1,336
confirmed cases. |
41 |
|
►
Sefton,
1,969 confirmed cases. |
34 |
|
►
St. Helens,
1,576
confirmed cases |
61 |
|
►
Wirral,
2,765
confirmed cases.
|
68 |
|
Colour
Key:- |
0 |
1
to 10 |
11 to 20 |
21 to 30 |
31 to 40 |
41 to 50 |
51 to100 |
100 over |
|
|
The number of laboratory confirmed cases within
Local Authorities around the Liverpool City
Region are as follows:-
►
Blackburn with Darwen, 2,164
confirmed cases.
►
Blackpool, 1,186 confirmed cases.
►
Bolton, 3,513 confirmed cases.
►
Bury, 1,917 confirmed cases.
►
Cheshire East, 2,595 confirmed cases.
►
Cheshire West and Chester, 2,330 confirmed
cases.
►
Lancashire, 9,651 confirmed cases.
►
Manchester, 5,233 confirmed cases.
►
Oldham, 3,417 confirmed cases.
►
Preston, 1,752 confirmed cases.
►
Rochdale, 2,656 confirmed cases.
►
Salford, 2,300 confirmed cases.
►
Stockport, 2,235 confirmed cases.
►
Tameside, 2,389 confirmed cases.
►
Trafford, 1,906 confirmed cases.
►
Warrington, 1,781 confirmed cases
►
Wigan, 2,639 confirmed cases.
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.
Previous 24hr Data
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