Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

YOU can get daily major and interesting news updates for the Liverpool City Region on our free email news service, via signing up on:- Formby Reporter. If you have any updates to send in or any views on the posts on here, please email us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.

Huge rise in 'Wangiri' phone calls

OVER the last month Ofcom, the UK's communications services regulator, has said they have seen a huge rise in 'Wangiri' calls being reported to them. This is then a scammer will ring a person's phone number but immediately hang up in the hope that the recipient will call back. The numbers are often originating from countries like Botswana, Guinea and Guyana and if you call them back, it might leave you them facing a costly phone bill for the call back. Often these numbers are international number, which will be charged at a premium rate, and many have dialling codes that begin with:- +267, +224, +592 respectively, but that is not always the case.

Ofcom said that:- "If you miss a call from a number you don't recognise, particularly from overseas, we strongly advise that you don't return the call. We also suggest that should you get a call lie this, that you share the number with your phone company, so they can investigate." They have also added that:- "You should ask your phone company to block any unfamiliar overseas and premium rate numbers. If you think you have fallen victim to this scam, contact your phone service provider as soon as possible, as well as Action Fraud, who are the UK's national fraud reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime within England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Reports of fraud and any other financial crime in Scotland should also be reported to Police via:- 101."

This type of scam has been yet again targeting mostly O2 and EE customers, but now many small businesses and home landline numbers are also having the same problem. The most frequent time of these calls are in the very early hours of the morning or late at night. Ofcom is recommending customers on all networks, both mobile and landline (fixed line) to check their accounts for recent payments to see if they have been unknowingly charged for calling 1 of these numbers.

Release of new guidelines by the Department for Education blasted as:- '11th Hour incompetence'

JUST after 9pm, on 28 August 2020, the Department for Education released new COVID10 guidance changes in what has been blasted as:- '11th Hour incompetence' by many Education leaders along with both Labour and the Lib-Dems. The timing of the updated guidance, which comes days before Schools reopen in England and over a Bank Holiday weekend. Labour's Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green said this announcement and its timing:- "just beggars belief" and her words have been echoed by many School and College Leaders across England.

The new guidelines that has been issued will not apply to Primary School children according to the Department for Education, as they say that doing so indicates it will:- "play a limited role in transmission" according to scientific evidence. The new system means that should there be a local lockdown, Schools within that area could have to bring in a rota system for students who would spend 2 weeks in the classroom and then a fortnight studying online at home. The idea being that the staggered approach would reducing contacts and help to limit the spread of the Coronavirus, by giving enough time at home for both staff and pupils symptoms to show up.

The guidelines that Schools in England should now base their plans on, is a 4 tier system, that the Department for Education says will prioritises keeping Primary Schools open, while helping the Secondary Education system to respond to changing levels of Coronavirus cases on a local level.

The 4 tier system is as follows:-

► Tier 1 - Requires students in year 7 and above, and staff, to wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas.

► Tier 2 - Early years and Primary Schools will stay open, while Secondary Schools will move to a rota system, combining face to face and remote learning.

► Tier 3 - Early Years and Primary Schools will remain open, but Secondary Schools and Further Education institutes will go to full remote learning, with the exception of key worker children.

► Tier 4 - All early years:- Primary and Secondary Schools will move to full remote learning, other than for key worker children.

Please email us your thoughts on this latest Department for Education announcement, as we would like to hear your thoughts on it, so please email them to:-

For more information about the latest guidance for Education in England, please visit:- Gov.UK/Coronavirus/Education-and-Childcare.

Total UK cases COVID-19 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 1,108 cases and the total number now stand at 332,752, that includes tests carried out by commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National totals.

The number of COVID-19 associated UK fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be 12 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 41,498.

The number of COVID-19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 764. The current number of COVID-19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 60. Daily number of COVID-19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 109.

In England, there are a total of 287,502 confirmed cases. North West - total of 52,684 confirmed cases:-.

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

► Liverpool, 2,847 confirmed cases.

► Halton, 738 confirmed cases.

► Knowsley, 1,079 confirmed cases.

► Sefton, 1,680 confirmed cases.

► St. Helens, 1,282 confirmed cases

► Wirral, 2,185 confirmed cases..

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

► Blackburn with Darwen, 1,822 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 1,098 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 2,289 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 1,575 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 2,375 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 2,138 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 8,146 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 4,230 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 2,877 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 1,428 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 2,236 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 1,785 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 1,977 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 1,913 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 1,669 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 1,412 confirmed cases

► Wigan, 2,311 confirmed cases.

Areas within England which are currently in Lockdown or have Enhanced Restrictions imposed on them:-

West Yorkshire...

► Bradford
► Calderdale
► Kirklees

Lancashire...

► Blackburn
► Burnley
► Hyndburn
► Pendle

Greater Manchester...

► City of Manchester
► Trafford
► Stockport
► Oldham
► Bury
► Bolton
► Tameside
► Rochdale
► Salford

Targeted action to control Covid19 cases through further intervention in:-

► Oldham
► Blackburn
► Parts of Pendle

Daily reported COVID deaths are now measured across the UK as deaths that occurred within 28 days of the 1st laboratory confirmed positive COVID test.

Daily and cumulative numbers of COVID-19 patients admitted to Hospital. Data are not updated every day by all 4 nations and the figures are not comparable as Wales include suspected COVID-19 patients while the other nations include only confirmed cases.