DAILY EMERGENCY COVID-19 NEWS
... Important Daily Notices ...

AS This page is to place quick update important notices that are being sent to us from Government and other organisations over the Coronavirus Emergency affecting our country (UK)...   Please remember that the information changes quickly, so always check to see what time and when the last post was made.  We will update as and when we can....  Users of our Formby Reporter's Free Email Service will get most updates 1st and then they will be added on here as soon as we can...  If you have any updates to send in or any views on the posts on here, please email us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.

This page is updated on 2 April 2020

Call for Action – Help from Businesses

PLEASE HELP!!! The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Centre Trust is in urgent need of protective equipment for healthcare workers such as:- Masks, Gowns and Scrubs. If you are able to provide any of these items please can you email The Walton Centre:- Ben.Davies@TheWaltonCentre.NHS.UK.

LGA responds to UK Government Bus Funding announcement

RESPONDING to the announcement by the Transport Secretary that bus services in England will receive a funding boost of nearly ₤400 million, Cllr David Renard, the Local Government Association's transport spokesman, said:- "Many key workers rely on local buses to get to and from work, whether that is nurses needing to get to Hospital or social care staff to look after the most vulnerable. We are pleased the Government has acted on our call and announced emergency funding to help make sure vital bus services can continue to transport key workers to the frontline during the Coronavirus crisis. Bus operators must work with local authorities to ensure that this public subsidy is targeted at the people and places that depend on it the most. Councils now want to also work with Government to provide financial support to those places which depend on other publicly run mass transit systems, such as ferries, trams, light railway networks. These also provide key workers with access to their workplaces, and are faced with unprecedented hits on their revenues, impacting on their future viability and ability to help people and business recover when this pandemic is over."

District Councils' Network issue warning of a "wave of waste" to come

CONCERNS over spiralling household waste during the Coronavirus outbreak have prompted Councils to issue a plea to residents to minimise the rubbish they throw away, and to avoid burning this on bonfires. The District Councils' Network has concerns that a "wave of waste" will emerge from households in the coming weeks, as families generate more waste and recycling while rightly staying safe at home and in some cases, as a result of having stocked up with food and other goods they need. It wants residents to work with their local Council to best manage bin collections. This coincides with some Councils having to reduce certain waste services, such as garden waste collections, as a result of many waste collection staff needing to self-isolate or to recover from illness. In some cases, Councils have also closed recycling centres as part of social distancing measures to discourage non-essential travel.

DCN, which represents 191 district Councils in England that are responsible for collecting waste, is calling on residents to work with their local Council to manage "a perfect storm" of growing levels of rubbish coinciding with challenges for Councils in collecting it. It says that while many will be using the current period as an opportunity to spring clean their home or do some gardening, residents are asked to be mindful of how and where they dispose of their waste. Around the country waste collectors have been inundated with positive messages of support from communities as they go about collecting household waste.

District Councils are now advising households to consider how they can store waste or arrange for it to be safely collected during the current restrictions, and is issuing the following guidance to residents:-

► Contact your Council to see if they are still operating paid for bulky waste collection.

► Private companies offer this as well, but people need to check any company they use is properly registered for handling waste by the Environment Agency.

► Try and compost any garden waste at home.

► Cut down cardboard boxes so they can be put into the appropriate recycling bin – this makes life much easier for waste collection staff.

► Store any excess waste from DIY projects, spring cleans or garden waste at home until it can be disposed of safely and legally.

DCN is also urging residents against burning rubbish on bonfires, especially hazardous waste, following a spate of incidents across the country that contribute to air pollution and disturbance for neighbours who may be self isolating.

Cllr Dan Humphreys, DCN Lead Member for Enhancing Quality of Life, said:- "These are challenging times for everyone in the country right now, and all of our public services are being overstretched as a result of the Coronavirus crisis. While most of the nation is quite rightly in isolation, and able to work from home, our refuse collectors continue to go out to empty people's bins and dispose of their waste. Alongside many other frontline services, the efforts of our waste collection staff should be applauded, as they are playing a key role in helping to keep the country running during this difficult period. Make no mistake, Councils and their contractors have plans in place to try and ensure that everyone's bins are collected. But we would ask the public to play their part, too. Where possible we would ask residents to think twice about how much waste is put out; such a small step could make a huge difference. With millions safely staying at home, many producing more waste than normal, and a risk that our waste collection workforce suffers staff shortages, we have to be careful and prepared to manage a potential wave of waste. Councils are doing all they can, and we want to thank the public for helping us during this tricky period."

Coronavirus lockdown creates the "perfect storm" allowing abusers to groom children online

CORONAVIRUS has created a 3 fold "perfect storm" for abusers to groom children online by taking advantage of the crisis, the NSPCC is warning.

The charity said while tech firms have had to scale back on moderators who combat sexual abuse, offenders are seeing an unprecedented opportunity to target children who are spending more time on the internet at home, and may be feeling increasingly lonely or anxious because of the lockdown.

Europol said they were seeing:- "increased online activity by those seeking child abuse material." Current conditions will see children passing more time at home than ever before, with understandably much of their day being spent online.

Much of this activity will be helping to educate them, stay in touch with their friends and provide entertainment, but it could also lead to an increased risk of sexual abuse and exposure to harmful content. And with social media companies forced to send their outsourced moderators home, meaning they are relying primarily on artificial intelligence (AI) for child safeguarding purposes, the NSPCC is concerned that conditions are "rife" to be exploited by abusers.

The charity is worried that while AI is normally used to identify and triage harmful content, grooming and abuse, there may be less human moderators available to ensure swift action is taken on child abuse and grooming.

Andy Burrows, Head of Child Safety Online Policy at the NSPCC, said:- "The impact of the Coronavirus lockdown has increased online risks and brewed a perfect storm for offenders to abuse children. The public health emergency is creating major challenges across society, and like all of us tech firms must adapt. It's vital they set out how they are prioritising protecting children by identifying and disrupting offenders with fewer moderation resources available. Social media and gaming sites are proving to be a lifeline for parents and their children as they adapt to being at home, but we must also recognise there are heightened risks. It is more important than ever for parents to have regular conversations with their children about what they're doing online and to reassure them they can come to you with any worries."

The NSPCC want tech firms to share with Government the volumes of referrals they make during this period to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), in order track and identify child abuse risks.

It's also imperative they share intelligence with each other about emerging and evolving risks, and how they are combating abuse and protecting children in the current emergency.

FSB tells UK banks to get emergency Coronavirus loans to small businesses without delay

RESPONDING to the Coronavirus update from Business Secretary Alok Sharma, on 1 April 2020, who promised the Chancellor would come forward with additional measures to help small firms trying to access support through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), Michael Sandys, FSB Merseyside and Cheshire's Area Leader for Liverpool City Region, said:- "A lot of members approaching banks about emergency loans are met with 1 of 2 issues. Either lenders are trying to push them towards standard, expensive products; demanding personal guarantees; or the banks are simply not responsive. They say they'll call back and the call back never comes. Many small employers had to pay staff last week. The job retention scheme is a great 1, and 1 we fought hard to secure, but firms can't claim through it until later this month. If the advice for those with no revenue coming in is speak to your bank about cash flow, then we need to see the Treasury working with lenders to ensure they're pulling out all the stops to make emergency loans available. The initial feedback we've had from the frontline about the interruption loan scheme has not been positive. We can't have a situation where banks are approached by successful small firms and lenders offer up business as usual products. This is not business as usual. Millions of fantastic small firms are facing collapse. They were promised interest free, fee free, Government backed support from banks. Many of them are in urgent need of it today, and it's not being made available. We look forward to the Chancellor's intervention."

In addition to working with UK Government, Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), and coordinating the local business lobby via the Liverpool City Region Business Group, FSB is providing business owners with support through a dedicated Coronavirus Hub that can be accessed on the FSB website.