Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

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Catering Company Chartwells Threaten Wirral School Staff With Redundancy

SCHOOL Catering company Chartwells are proposing to make 10 low paid Catering assistants redundant within a month, just 3 weeks before Christmas. Wirral UNISON, local MPs and the CEO of 1 School affected have expressed their outrage about the treatment of the staff who provide School Meals, at Bebington High and Weatherhead Schools.

The company have stated that the reason for the proposed redundancies is reduced demand for School Meals, especially hot meals. However, their own managers have acknowledged in discussions with UNISON that the reasons for this are related to the COVID pandemic and there is every indication that demand will return to previous levels once this pandemic has abated. It is precisely for these circumstances that the Government has extended the furlough scheme until March. Chartwells have previously placed staff in these Schools on furlough, but are now refusing to extend it.

A member of the Catering staff who did not want to be named said:- "I feel totally let down by the company. I'm sad that after many years of service and through no fault of my own I may lose my job. I will miss the banter with the kids, it's not an easy job, but I love it. I feel totally worthless."

Chris Tomlinson, Chief Executive Officer for Co-op Academies Trust which oversees Bebington School, said:- "I'm really very disappointed with this proposed action from Chartwells. So close to Christmas they're making members of our community redundant when the furlough scheme is available. Totally unnecessary and despicable. I'm asking Chartwells publicly to use the furlough scheme that is available to ensure no jobs are lost where there is an obvious and accessible solution."

A number of the staff have contacted Alison McGovern MP for her support. McGovern stated:- "I cannot understand why this company is proposing to go ahead with redundancies of these women when the furlough scheme exists to avoid situations like this. I'm calling on Chartwells to withdraw these redundancies and use the furlough scheme that is available so that these employees are not made jobless just before Christmas."

Angela Eagle and Mick Whitley MPs have also expressed support for the Catering staff, whilst the Leader of Wirral Council has written to Chartwells to ask them to furlough the School Workers.

Wirral UNISON Branch Officer Gill Harris said:- "Our low paid, but dedicated School Caterers are devastated by these proposals; some of them have worked in these Schools for 20 years. These are totally unnecessary redundancies that can be easily avoided by agreeing to furlough these staff. The reason the furlough scheme was introduced was specifically to avoid redundancies where COVID has had an impact. The Chief Executive of Co-op Trust, the Leader of the Council and local MPs can all see that furlough should be used by Chartwells to avoid these unnecessary redundancies; why can't company bosses? We again call on Chartwells to place these staff on furlough and avoid making these low paid, women workers redundant weeks before Christmas."

LGA responds to Social Housing White Paper

RESPONDING to the Social Housing White Paper, Cllr Darren Rodwell, Local Government Association housing spokesperson, said:- "Councils are proud of their housing and the individuals and families that call it home. It is paramount that the voice of all social housing residents is heard, and Councils are committed to improving standards and empowering and supporting tenants. We support measures that will make the existing redress process clearer, equitable and accessible for all tenants, regardless of the tenure they are living in. Councils are also determined that their tenants should have the security of a safe and well maintained home with any issues quickly and satisfactorily addressed. Tenants of all housing tenures should expect that their landlords will consistently work towards improving living conditions. Now is the time to reverse the decline in Council housing over the past few decades. As important as these reforms are for tenants, they will not help to tackle the severe shortage of social housing the country faces. Every penny spent on building new social housing is an investment that has the potential to bring significant economic and social returns. We have set out how handing Councils the powers and resources to build 100,000 social homes for rent each year would help to reduce spiralling Council housing waiting lists and deliver a ₤14.5 billion boost to the economy."

Care Home Covid19 pilot scheme may help families to see loved ones this Christmas

ON Monday, 16 November 2020, a new pilot scheme was launched, that is aimed at delivering regular Covid19 testing to reunite family members or friends with their loved ones who are living in Care Homes. If successful it will be rolled out more widely, through December 2020, raising hopes that families in the Liverpool City Region may be able to see relatives in time for Christmas. The scheme is dependent on Coronavirus cases being brought under control and people are being asked to do all they can to reduce any spread of the virus.

Southport MP Damien Moore said:- "This is very welcome news for people locally who have been facing a very challenging few months during this Covid19 Pandemic. I understand that families, and Care Home residents, have been missing that vital face to face contact during this time. Many Care Homes within Southport have gone the extra mile to use measures, including Zoom video calling, screens and outside, so that visits can make some form of contact this year, and I commend them for doing so. I hope people locally continue with their efforts to bring down transmission of Covid19. Thanks to increased Coronavirus testing capacity, this new pilot scheme will hopefully ensure that families can see each other again as we approach Christmas."

The pilot is taking place in around 20 Care Homes across:- Hampshire, Cornwall and Devon, from Monday and will be rolled out more widely in December in time for Christmas.

Regular testing will be offered to 1 family member or friend per resident, which; when combined with other infection; control measures such as PPE; will support meaningful visits. These will enable, where possible, indoor visits without a screen to take place while reducing the risk to Care Home residents, staff and visitors.

Visitors will be offered either PCR tests which they can do at home, or the new 30 minute rapid lateral flow tests (LFTs), which can be administered in person at Care Homes before a visit.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:- "I know how heart breaking restricting visits to Care Homes has been, not only for residents, many of whom will feel disoriented and confused by the situation, but also their loved ones who aren't able to simply hug each other to support them in this difficult time. Thanks to the expanding testing capacity we have in place we can now begin to trial a new way to allow safer visits to take place and prevent the spread of Covid19. I must stress this is only possible if the public takes the right actions now to bring the transmission rate under control while national restrictions are in place. By respecting social distancing and staying at home as much as possible we will help reunite families and friends with loved ones in Care Homes as quickly as possible. We will be encouraging and supporting Care Homes to facilitate visits to go ahead in a Covid Secure way wherever possible."

The pilot, which forms part of plans to roll out mass testing technology across the country, has been made possible thanks to a huge expansion in the country's testing capacity, which currently stands at over 500,000 per day.

Each Care Home receiving LFTs will receive a box of 675 initially and will be given access to more as required.

It will take place in local authority areas with lower transmission rates to ensure it can be done as safely as possible and care staff are being trained to ensure tests are administered safely and accurately.

It will further develop the evidence base for how testing with fast, reliable Covid19 Tests can be delivered at scale.

If successful, Care Home testing will be rolled out in a phased way across the country.

Any decision on a national roll out will be taken in light of the latest available data on transmission rates as a result of national Covid19 restrictions.

Exact details of the national roll out will be published in due course and will be guided by the pilot. It is anticipated the LFTs will be used across the country to support rapid access. If these faster tests work in this setting we will ring fence supply to open up more chances for visiting.

Liverpool's Mass Testing Program finds over 700 new cases

CORONAVIRUS risks should be falling soon within the Liverpool City Region thanks to the mass testing program finding over 700 new cases of infection. Those found have not been showing any symptoms and otherwise would have been missed. This success of finding the new cases will, it is hoped, help to lower the overall infection rate within the City. The City has been showing their appreciation for the Army, who are they are praising for helping the area to run the program of testing, with donations of chocolate and other goodies. So far this testing program has proven extremely popular and successful, despite what some doomsayers have been saying about the area and the program. Please let us know your thoughts and views about this testing system, by emailing us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.

Coronavirus 'to set people in mid life on a path to poverty and ill health' with inequalities widening, according to new report

CORONAVIRUS risks setting people in mid life on a path to poverty and ill health in old age, according to a new report by the Centre for Ageing Better, which warns that the virus will exacerbate existing inequalities. The report:- 'The State of Ageing in 2020,' warns that poor health, unsafe and low quality housing, and a lack of social connections have exacerbated the impact of the pandemic particularly among the less well off.

The report also highlights a stark North South divide in how people experience later life. It shows that people in the South of England have a longer life expectancy and spend more years in good health than those in the North. 65 to 69 year olds in the South East can expect to spend 11 more years without a disability or long term health condition, compared to just 8.3 years for those in the North East . Those in the North in their 50's and 60's are also, on average, more likely to have 3 or more long term health conditions than those in the South. 1 in 5 50 to 64 year olds in Tees Valley and Durham have three or more such conditions, compared to less than one in ten of those living in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

Broken down further, the inequalities are even more stark: people who live in the wealthiest areas have almost twice as many years of disability free life ahead of them at 65 than those living in the poorest areas. And the picture is worse for younger generations, with today's baby girls born in Blackpool set to have just 53 years of disability free life, compared to almost 70 years for girls born in Waltham Forest.

Experts at the Centre for Ageing Better say that without action, regional and economic inequalities in later life will deepen in the years to come, and many of those in mid life are on a path to poverty and ill health in retirement. They say that with a greater burden of ill health on the poorest in society, it is the poorest who will suffer most from the delays in diagnosis and treatment of health conditions that have resulted from the pandemic. This means the coming years may bring not only a further reduction in disability free life expectancy overall, but a larger gap between the richest and poorest.

They are calling for urgent action by national and local Governments, businesses and the voluntary sector to address the gap in disability free life expectancy and to enable all of us to live longer healthier lives. This will require actions across society; to workplaces, homes and communities if we are to put people on a path to a happy and secure later life.

Anna Dixon, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said:- "In recent years we have made great progress in reducing pensioner poverty, increasing life expectancy and improving health. But not all places have seen the benefit of these gains and too many people have been left behind. The COVID19 Pandemic has worsened these already shocking inequalities, with those in poor health hit harder and those who are poorer less able to recover financially from the impact of the crisis. If we continue on our current path, the gap between those who are able to enjoy later life and those who struggle through it will be even wider for future generations than it is for the present 1. Now more than ever we need the Government to reaffirm its active commitment to ensuring people can enjoy 5 more healthy, independent years of life by 2035, while narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and poorest across our nation."

% of 50 to 64 year olds with 3 or more long term conditions, 2019...

► Tees Valley and Durham = 22

► Inner London - East = 20

► Northumberland and Tyne and Wear = 19

► South Yorkshire = 19

► Cumbria = 18

► Merseyside = 18

► East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire = 18

► Lancashire = 17

► Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire = 17

► Lincolnshire = 17

► Cornwall and Isles of Scilly = 17

► Greater Manchester = 16

► Kent = 16

► Devon = 16

► Inner London - West = 16

► Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire = 15

► East Anglia = 15
► Outer London - East and North East = 15

► West Yorkshire = 14

► West Midlands = 14

► Essex = 14

► Dorset and Somerset = 14

► Shropshire and Staffordshire = 13

► Hampshire and Isle of Wight = 13

► Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area = 13

► Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire = 12

► North Yorkshire = 11

► Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire = 11

► Surrey, Essex and West Sussex = 11

► Outer London - South - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire = 10

► Outer London - West and North West = 9

► Cheshire = 8

Percentage of 50 to 64 year olds with 3 or more long term conditions, 2004...

► South Yorkshire = 27

► Tees Valley and Durham = 24

► Northumberland and Tyne and Wear = 23

► Lincolnshire = 21

► Greater Manchester = 19

► Lancashire = 19

► West Yorkshire = 19

► West Midlands = 19

► Merseyside = 17

► East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire = 17

► Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire = 17
► Devon = 17

► Shropshire and Staffordshire = 16

► Kent = 16

► Cornwall and Isles of Scilly = 16

► Inner London = 15

► Cumbria = 14

► North Yorkshire = 14

► Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire = 14

► Hampshire and Isle of Wight = 14

Remaining disability free life expectancy for 65 to 69 year olds...

► South East = 10.96

► South West = 10.51

► East of England = 10.26

► London = 9.98

► East Midlands = 9.45

► West Midlands = 9.39

► Yorkshire and the Humber = 9.1

► North West = 9.09

► North East = 8.31.

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:- 20,051 cases and the total number now stand at:- 1,410,732 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:- 598, 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:- 52,745, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 63,873.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 15,830. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 1,391 Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 1,601.

In England, there are a total of:- 1,211,951 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 280,264 confirmed cases.

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

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

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

National UK Lockdown

LOCKDOWN

Liverpool City Region

► Liverpool, 22,871 confirmed cases.
139

► Halton, 4,278 confirmed cases.
51

► Knowsley, 7,428 confirmed cases. 33

► Sefton, 9,892 confirmed cases.
66

► St. Helens, 7,094 confirmed cases.
69

► Wirral, 9,448 confirmed cases.

64

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, 8,731 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 4,742 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 13,685 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 8,773 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 7,920 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 8,042 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 42,619 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 28,780 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 13,436 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 6,555 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 11,295 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 12,379 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 9,560 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 9,555 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 8,089 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 7,554 confirmed cases

► Wigan, 14,943 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.

latest UK R number is estimated at 1 to 1.2 with a daily infection growth rate range of +1% to +3%.