Letter to Editor:- "Please help us find a lost relative"

DEAR Southport and Mersey Reporter Readers:- "We are writing to you from Canada. I'm reaching out to all of you, seeking your help in finding a woman who we believe is living in Liverpool. I (Michel), have been working on genealogy for the last 18 months, specifically on my great grandfather (grandfather to my mother), and the name of this unknown woman has come up in my research. We are trying to locate Marjorie Grace Lloyd Dickenson, born in October 1936, daughter of Geoffrey Trevor Glanville Lloyd and Christina Constance Smith; or any member of her immediate family. According to our research, she might have worked at the Whiston Hospital in 1966, as a Staff Nurse. We would like to share with her or with a member of her immediate family, part of her family history that is likely unknown to them. We can be contacted via our email:- MichelW.Fortin@Yahoo.CA. In advance, we sincerely thank you for your help in our search." Hélène Labine and Michel Fortin (Canada)

Liverpool City Region leaders demand 'immediate review' of gym and leisure centre closures

THE Metro Mayor, City Mayor and Council leaders in Liverpool City Region have asked the Government to conduct an 'immediate review' of their decision to close gyms under Tier 3 restrictions. As part of the review ministers would need to provide the scientific evidence to support the Region's gym and leisure centre being closed and if they are unable to do so, change the law so they can open again. They add that while the Government conducts any review of gym and leisure centre closures, they continue to urge everyone to follow the law as it currently stands and will fully support Merseyside Police in any enforcement activity required. A full copy of the letter sent to the UK's Prime Minister, on 19 October 2020 is below:-

"We are writing as the Leaders and Mayors of the City Region regarding the Government's decision to close gyms and leisure centres as part of Liverpool City Region's tier 3 package.

We are very conscious of the high rates of Coronavirus in our Region and the pressure this causes our NHS, and have therefore always understood the need for action to bring the virus under control and protect the health of our residents.

As you will know we were given no choice about the specific package of measures that would be applied to us, but did ask for assurances that the restrictions in our area would have the desired effect of impacting on the transmission rate and take some of the pressure off our NHS, which faces being overwhelmed. To ensure the measures had the best chance of success, we requested the scientific evidence to support their imposition.

At no stage did we ask for gyms and leisure centres to be closed; despite several ministers subsequently erroneously claiming otherwise. Indeed, during talks we repeatedly questioned why decisions on the suite of regulations were being taken, specifically pointing to the fitness and mental health benefits that gyms and leisure centres provide to our residents. Responses to our requests for the scientific basis for the closure of gyms have, to date, not been forthcoming.

Last Friday the Government decided to place Lancashire into Tier 3. However, gyms there were not required to close. We find this decision perplexing. The Tier system was supposed to simplify the public's understanding of restrictions to avoid the confusion of the local lockdown' patchwork quilt.

We simply cannot accept our Region being treated differently to other Tier 3 areas, without robust scientific evidence. These inconsistencies in restrictions between areas within the same tier risk undermining the new system from the beginning.

So today we are writing to request an immediate review of the Government's decision to close gyms and leisure centres in the Liverpool City Region.

We believe this process should take the following steps:-

1) The Government should provide the scientific evidence that gyms and leisure centres are in LCR are less safe than elsewhere in the country; or that they are significantly contributing to the spread of Covid19 in our City Region.

2) If (as we suspect) ministers are not able to provide this evidence, then we are requesting that the Government amends the regulations passed by parliament last week; to rescind the inclusion of gyms and leisure centres from the list of restricted businesses; and allow them to safely re-open, at the earliest opportunity.

3) Under the legislation passed in Parliament our Tier 3 restrictions have to be reviewed in 3 weeks' time. If the Government is unable to provide evidence to justify gyms and leisure centres closures, and is also unable to amend the regulations before this point, then we ask that you give us the discretionary power locally to determine that gyms can re-opened at this point.

While this review is undertaken, we will of course continue to urge people to abide by the letter of the current legislation; and fully support Merseyside Police in the fantastic work they do to keep people in the City Region safe every day.

We look forward to receiving your response on this important issue."

New local testing site opened in Sefton

A new walk through Coronavirus testing facility is to open for those with symptoms to book appointments at Netherton Activity Centre Car Park, Glovers Lane, in Sefton, as part of the Government's UK wide drive to continue to improve the accessibility of Coronavirus testing for local communities.

Testing is available only for those with Coronavirus symptoms; a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste. Anyone with one or more of these symptoms should book a test at:- NHS.UK  or by calling:- 119. From the start of the pandemic, testing has been prioritised for the most vulnerable, including patients in clinical settings and care home residents, vital health and care staff and to manage outbreaks.

The new site is situated so as to be 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 while travelling to and from the Testing Centre.

Anyone attending an appointment at a walk through testing site will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the test site safely, with additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.

Testing at the new site started today, on Monday, 19 October 2020, with appointments made available each day.

The site is part of the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities created in British history, which now includes more than 500 sites available across the UK, including 78 drive through sites, 202 walk-through sites, 258 mobile units, home testing and satellite kits and five 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, asking them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus. They will be advised to also book a test if they develop symptoms.

Health Minister Lord Bethell said:- “We continue to expand testing to make sure that everyone with symptoms can get a test, with our new walk-in sites making it even easier no matter where you live. This new site forms part of our national testing network, which has the capacity to test more than a million people a week and is growing all the time. If you have symptoms of Coronavirus, I urge you to book a test today and follow the advice of NHS Test and Trace if you are contacted to protect others around you and stop the spread of the virus.”

Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said:- “Our new walk through sites offer communities better access to Coronavirus testing, so everyone with symptoms can get a test. This new site is part of our ongoing work to expand testing across the UK to deliver 500,000 tests a day by the end of October 2020. Please book a test if you have Coronavirus symptoms: a new continuous cough, a high temperature and a loss or change in sense of smell or taste. Everybody should continue to think hands, face, space, and follow the advice of NHS Test and Trace if you are contacted; this is the only way we can return to a more normal way of life.”

The Testing Centre is being operated in partnership with Levy and will offer self administered tests..

Volunteers needed in Southport for Christmas food collection

2 charities providing vital food to people hit by the Covid19 Pandemic are appealing for people across Southport to help support the UK's biggest food collection this Christmas. From Thursday, 19 November 2020 until Saturday, 21 November 2020 charities FareShare and the Trussell Trust will be collecting food in Tesco stores across the UK and Northern Ireland during the annual pre-Christmas Tesco Food Collection.

The need for food to help the food banks and community groups which the 2 charities support is more vital than ever this year given the pressures caused by Covid19. FareShare are looking for people to volunteer at donation points in store whilst the Trussell Trust is looking for social media volunteers to share shopping lists on social media to encourage people to donate.

During the collection customers are encouraged to donate long life food to help food banks and community groups support people this Christmas. Tesco will top up customer donations by 20% in cash to aid the 2 charities in their work.

In 2019, 3 million meals were collected as part of the Tesco Food Collection, and since its launch in 2012, more than 76 million meals have been donated to the 2 charities by generous Tesco customers.

The volunteers are needed to encourage shoppers to leave their donations in the collection point at the front of stores, with shoppers more likely to donate if volunteers are present.

Foodbanks in the Trussell Trust's network are expecting to give out 6 emergency food parcels every minute this winter.

Gareth Duffield, Trussell Trust's Regional Manager in Merseyside, said:- “A crisis can often bring out the best in people, and we have been overwhelmed by the support the UK has shown towards food banks in light of the Coronavirus outbreak. As we look to the one of the busiest times of the year for food banks in our network, we would be so grateful if people can share shopping lists of their local food bank's most needed items on their social media to encourage friends and family to donate. Together we can make a difference and ensure that food banks are able to help people in crisis this winter.”

Meanwhile FareShare has tripled the amount of food it has been providing since the start of the pandemic and will be supplying food to 11,000 front line charities and community groups supporting people this winter.

FareShare's Development Manager in Merseyside, Ann Dobie, said:- “We know that many people have already fallen victim to the economic impact of the pandemic and thousands more are at risk of losing their jobs and livelihoods. We have seen a huge increase in people turning to their local grassroots community groups for support and demand for food is more than double pre-pandemic levels. We would be hugely grateful to anyone who is able to volunteer this year to encourage more shoppers to donate much needed ambient food to those who need it most.”

Volunteers will need to adhere to the Covid-19 rules in place in the store and locally when they participate. People interested in volunteering can find out more and sign up at:- Fareshare.Org.UK/FoodCollection.

Total UK cases COVID19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region