Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

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Jobs plan:- "looks designed so that no 1 will want to use it" says MP

MP Bill Esterson has criticised the Government's new jobs protection scheme, saying it:- "looks like a plan designed so that no 1 will want to use it." The MP for Sefton Central and Shadow International Trade Minister said the plan for the Government to support workers who work at least one third of their usual hours, means businesses will pay more to keep on 2 members of staff part time than one full time.

Mr Esterson said that rather than a plan for jobs, the scheme was in danger of becoming a plan for "mass unemployment" and needed a rapid adjustment. The Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced this Thursday, that from 1 November 2020 the Job Support Scheme would replace the Coronavirus Rob Retention Scheme.

The Job Support Scheme will subsidise 22% of the wages of any employee working a 3rd of their normal hours. The employer would be asked to support 55% of the employee's normal full time wages, so the employee takes home 80% of their usual pay. The scheme will last 6 months. Alternatively, the employer could pay staff 33% of their wages for working a third of the time without applying for the government subsidy.

The previous, more generous, Job Retention Scheme, also known as "furlough," which will end on 31 October 2020, initially paid 80% of an employee's salary, up to ₤2,500 per month, reducing to 60% currently. Furloughed employees do not have to work any hours to qualify, but may work some hours, with the Government supporting the pay for the hours they do not work.

The self employed have been able to access the self employment income support scheme (SEISS), which has paid up to 80% of trading profits for those earning under ₤50,000 per year on average for the past 3 years. From 1 November 2020 that support will reduce to just 20% of normal trading profits for 3 months. As well as receiving help from the new job support scheme, companies that bring back workers from furlough will also be able to claim the Job Retention Bonus, where the Government pays ₤1,000 for every furloughed employee who comes back to work until at least the end of January. Around 3 million workers, thought to be around 12% of the UK workforce, are currently fully or partially furloughed.

Mr Esterson said:- "The Chancellor's announcement is just too little too late. There are thousands of workers who have already been handed their redundancy notices, and this will have ended the hopes of thousands more, particularly in industries like events and hospitality which are being restricted from operating right now due to Covid. How do these businesses pay even a third of an employee's wages, never mind 55%? Labour has been calling for targeted support for the worst affected industries, and for support for those three million people who have so far received nothing and have not been eligible for any help. To ask firms to pay 55% of the wages of a staff member who only works a 3rd of their usual hours makes no sense. It means it is more expensive to bring back two workers on a third of their normal hours than one worker on full time hours. It is cheaper to bring back two employees on a third of their hours and pay them a third of their hours, than to use this scheme and have their wages topped up. It actually incentivises employers to keep some staff on but make others redundant and it incentivises employers not to use the scheme. It is like the Chancellor has deliberately devised a scheme no one will want to use. This is not a plan for jobs, it's in danger of being a plan for mass unemployment. The Chancellor has said little about training and retraining, and says he is focusing on 'viable jobs.' But how does he determine what is a viable job? There are many jobs in events, hospitality and parts of manufacturing which will be perfectly viable when the economy gets back to normal, but where is the support for workers in those industries that are still shut down? How are their employers supposed to pay a third of their wages? And still there is nothing for the 3 million workers who have been excluded from all help up to now. The government should learn from Germany where the job support scheme pays more than 3 times as much and is until at least the end of next year. The German scheme gives employers and staff certainty, stability and clarity and is designed so that employers will use it. The UK scheme does none of these things and will cause real hardship and concern unless it is changed."

Total UK cases COVID19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region

THE total number of UK Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections that have been laboratory confirmed, within the UK, has risen by 6,634 cases and the total number now stand at 416,363, that includes tests carried out by commercial partners which are not included in 3 of the 4 National totals. Due to a power outage at National Records of Scotland have not been able to update the figures for Scotland. by Public Health England and NHSX.

The number of COVID-19 associated UK fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be 40 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 41,902. Today's deaths figure does not include Scotland.

The number of COVID-19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 1,542. The current number of COVID-19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 228. Daily number of COVID-19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 266.

In England, there are a total of 364,280 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 76,203 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, 5,175 confirmed cases.

264

► Halton, 1,237 confirmed cases.

► Knowsley, 1,778 confirmed cases.

► Sefton, 2,500 confirmed cases.

111

► St. Helens, 1,922 confirmed cases

► Wirral, 3,455 confirmed cases.

103

Colour Key:-

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, 2,547 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 1,316 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 4,409 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 2,413 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 2,797 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 2,547 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 11,389 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 6,548 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 3,957 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 2,109 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 3,135 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 2,724 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 2,538 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 2,812 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 2,157 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 2,188 confirmed cases.

► Wigan, 3,149 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.

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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 ...