Grand Central Liverpool issue statement following its closure

THE operators of the Grand Central Hall, The Dome Theatre, The Liffey Pub and the Nelly Foleys Pub have issued a statement confirming that the venues have closed. The venue said that this was down to massive problems ythat have arose over the last few years with the Landlords which have now culminated in High Court action being taken against the Landlords.

The Spokesperson for Maureen Bramwell also stated that:- "Despite over 300 complaints to the Landlords confirming their concerns for the Building and the Facilities, that the Landlords failed to respond and she was left with no option, but to serve notice to them of High Court Action in the matter. The Landlords were informed by her Solicitors on Thursday, 24 March 2022. The Landlord responded by locking them out of the building on the 29 March 2022."

Maureen Bramwell went on to state that:- "Because of the impending Court Cases she is not at liberty to give any further details. She stated she will do her talking in Court. It is now also reported that a separate Court action is also being taken against the Landlord by an Equipment Leasing Company that owns all the Fixtures and Fittings in the buildings and it is their intention to obtain Court Orders to strip the buildings of their belongings. No further statements are being released at this time."

Free Covid19 tests will only be available to help protect specific groups and new Covid19 guidance to be published

PEOPLE at risk of serious illness from Covid19, and eligible for treatments, will continue to get free tests to use if they develop symptoms, along with NHS and adult social care staff and those in other high risk settings, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid that was announced on Tuesday, 29 March 2022.  Free testing for the general public ends on 1 April 2022, as part of the Living with Covid plan which last month set out the Government's strategy to live with and manage the virus.  Although Covid19 infections and hospitalisations have risen in recent weeks, over 55% of those in Hospital that have tested positive are not there with Covid19 as their primary diagnosis.  Free universal testing has come at a significant cost to the taxpayer, with the testing, tracing and isolation budget costing over ₤15.7 billion in 2021 to 2022. This was necessary due to the severe risk posed by Covid19 when the population did not have a high level of protection.  Thanks to the success of the vaccination programme and access to anti-virals, alongside natural immunity and increased scientific and public understanding about how to manage risk, the population now has much stronger protection against Covid19 than at any other point in the Pandemic.  This is enabling the country to begin to manage the virus like other respiratory infections.

► From 1 April, updated guidance will advise people with symptoms of a respiratory infection, including Covid19, and a high temperature or who feel unwell, to try stay at home and avoid contact with other people, until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and they no longer have a high temperature. Until 1st of April individuals should continue to follow the current guidance.

► From 1 April 2022, anyone with a positive Covid19 test result will be advised to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious.

► Advice will be provided for individuals who need to leave their home when they have symptoms or have tested positive, including avoiding close contact with people with a weakened immune system, wearing a face-covering and avoiding crowded places.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid said:- "Thanks to our plan to tackle Covid we are leading the way in learning to live with the virus. We have made enormous progress, but will keep the ability to respond to future threats including potential variants. Vaccines remain our best defence and we are now offering spring boosters to the elderly, care home residents and the most vulnerable; please come forward to protect yourself, your family, and your community."

Under the plans set out are free symptomatic testing will be provided for:-

► Patients in Hospital, where a PCR test is required for their care and to provide access to treatments and to support ongoing clinical surveillance for new variants.

► People who are eligible for community Covid19 treatments because they are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from Covid19. People in this group will be contacted directly and sent lateral flow tests to keep at home for use if they have symptoms as well as being told how to reorder tests.

► People living or working in some high risk settings. For example, staff in adult social care services such as homecare organisations and care homes, and residents in care homes and extra care and supported living services, NHS workers and those working and living in hospices, and prisons and places of detention (including immigration removal centres), where infection needs to be identified quickly to minimise outbreaks. People will also be tested before being discharged from Hospital into care homes, hospices, homelessness settings and domestic abuse refuges.

Asymptomatic lateral flow testing will continue from April in some high-risk settings where infection can spread rapidly while prevalence is high. This includes patient-facing staff in the NHS and NHS-commissioned Independent Healthcare Providers, staff in hospices and adult social care services, such as homecare organisations and care homes, a small number of care home visitors who provide personal care, staff in some prisons and places of detention and in high risk domestic abuse refuges and homelessness settings. In addition, testing will be provided for residential SEND, care home staff and residents during an outbreak and for care home residents upon admission. This also includes some staff in prisons and immigration removal centres.

Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.

The internationally recognised Community Infection Survey delivered through the Office for National Statistics will continue to provide a detailed national surveillance capability in the coming year so the Government can respond appropriately to emerging developments such as a new variant of concern or changing levels of population infection. Infections in health and care settings will also be monitored through bespoke studies including the Vivaldi study in residential care homes, the SIREN study in the NHS, and RCGP surveillance in primary care.

The Government has retained the ability to enable a rapid testing response should it be needed, such as a new variant of concern. This includes a stockpile of lateral flow tests and the ability to ramp up testing laboratories and delivery channels. The Government's Therapeutics Taskforce and Antiviral Taskforce will also be merged into a single unit which will continue to focus on securing access to the most promising treatments for Covid19.

Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said:- "As we learn to live with Covid, we are focusing our testing provision on those at higher risk of serious outcomes from the virus, while encouraging people to keep following simple steps to help keep themselves and others safe. The Pandemic is not over and how the virus will develop over time remains uncertain. Covid still poses a real risk to many of us, particularly with case rates and hospitalisations on the rise. That is why it is sensible to wear a mask in enclosed spaces, keep indoor spaces ventilated and stay away from others if you have any symptoms of a respiratory illness, including Covid. Vaccination remains the best way to protect us all from severe disease and hospitalisation due to Covid infection. If you have not yet come forward for your primary or booster I would urge you to do so straight away; the NHS vaccine programme is there to help you and the sooner you are vaccinated the sooner you and your family and friends will be protected."

Most visitors to adult social care settings, and visitors to the NHS, prisons or places of detention will no longer be required to take a test. More guidance on what people should do when visiting adult social care settings will be published for the 1 April 2022.

A number of changes and new guidance is also being confirmed today for adult social care including:-

► From 1 April 2022, those working in adult social care services will also continue to receive free personal protective equipment (PPE). Priority vaccinations and boosters for residents and staff will also continue.

► Updated Hospital discharge guidance will be published setting out how all involved in health and social care will work together to ensure smooth discharges from Hospital and people receive the right care at the right time in the right place .

► Designated settings will be removed. These were initially set up to provide a period of isolation to Covid19 positive patients before they move into care homes and before routine point of care testing for Covid19 was available. Restrictions on staff movement will also be removed.

► Streamlined guidance on infection and prevention control measures will be published to set out long-standing principles on good practice, and support consistency across the adult social care sector. This will include details on future measures for Covid19 and other respiratory viruses to ensure providers have the latest information on best practice which will include information on admissions, visiting and PPE.

► Updated guidance for adult social care providers and staff to set out the current testing regime across adult social care.

► Outbreak management periods in care homes, which can include visiting restrictions, have been reduced from 14 to 10 days.

► People aged 75 and over, residents in care homes for elderly adults and those who are immunosuppressed are now eligible to receive a Spring booster jab to top up their immunity to Covid19. Around 5 million people will be eligible for a Spring booster around 6 months after their previous dose, and the NHS has contacted over 600,000 people inviting them to book an appointment. Anyone who has not yet had a Covid19 jab continues to be encouraged to take up the 'evergreen' offer.

The cost of these changes will be met within existing funding arrangements. As part of this, free parking for NHS staff introduced during the Pandemic will also come to an end on 31 March 2022. We are delivering on our the manifesto commitment to provide free Hospital car parking to thousands more NHS patients and visitors; with over 94% of NHS trusts implementing free car parking for those who need it most, including NHS staff working night shifts.  Through the Health and Social Care Levy, funding will rise by a record ₤36 billion over the next 3 years. This is on top of the previous historic long term settlement for the NHS, which will see NHS funding increase by ₤33.9 billion by 2023 to 2024, which has been enshrined in law.  The success of the Government's Living with Covid plan, will enable the country to continue to move out of the Pandemic while also protecting those at higher risk of serious outcomes from the virus through our testing regime.