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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)...
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This page is updated on 7 April 2020
"A 'Get out clause' essential for home
movers trapped by Coronavirus" says Napthens
LIVERPOOL based regional law firm Napthens is calling for special conditions to
be included on house move contracts which are trapped by the Coronavirus
pandemic.
With the latest Government advice to avoid moving house while the stay at home
measures are in place, it leaves thousands of home moves in limbo until the
restrictions are lifted.
Simon Ainsworth, partner at Napthens, said:- "1 way of keeping deals alive during
the period is to insert a 1 off Coronavirus special clause in sale contracts.
The clause would allow parties to exchange contracts while maintaining social
distancing advice yet enabling either party to delay completion because of
factors caused by Covid-19, he said. This could include circumstances such as
lenders being unable to release funds, removal firms not being available,
clients self isolating or being diagnosed with the virus or being unable to have
signed and witnessed documents in place.
Similarly, a 'get out clause' allowing people to walk away from the sale without
incurring substantial penalties would need to be included should the social
distancing advice still be in place in a few months. The purpose of a
Coronavirus special condition in sale
contracts would be to ensure house moves can be put on pause and completed
quickly once the advice is lifted. Equally, should it last for an extended
period of time, or a persons circumstances change as a result of the virus, a
get out clause would allow them to walk away without being seriously penalised.
The conveyancing team at Napthens is keen to work closely with estate agents to
ensure deals are still done where they can be, even if completions need to be
delayed. However, their overriding aim is to ensure clients follow the
Governments guidance and stay safe during the crisis; using special clauses
like this can help achieve both.
Thankfully the Government is allowing the purchase of vacant properties to
proceed and we are able to buy and sell investment properties already occupied
by tenants as nobody is physically moving in that case."
Bongo's Bingo announces 6 free shows for NHS
staff and emergency workers
BONGO'S
Bingo are very proud to announce 6 special free shows taking place later in the
year exclusively for NHS staff and emergency workers. 1 free show will take
place locally at Content in Liverpool, and also around the UK at The Grand in
London, The Albert Hall in Manchester, SWG3 in Glasgow, Athena in Leicester and
Boiler Shop in Newcastle. Dates will be confirmed later on and how to apply for
tickets will be announced on Bongo's Bingo's social media.
The crisis has shown just how important the NHS and all emergency workers are.
Joshua Burke, Bongo's Bingo's co-founder, explains:- "I think pretty much
everyone now has been affected in some way or another by this terrible
situation. I also think now that everyone is realising what an incredible job
the NHS and emergency workers are doing for us all, putting their lives on the
line each day. If we can help them even a little bit then it's giving something
back to these amazing women and men, and the free shows are a thank you from us
for all of their efforts. My parents were both NHS nurses, so this is something
very close to my heart."
Bongo's Bingo's free to play online shows on streaming platform:-
Twitch.TV;
have been a huge success. Over 1 million people have streamed the shows over the
1st 2 weeks with thousands of pounds donated to the NHS. Twitch has already seen
over 250k hours of streamed shows for anyone wanting some familiar Bongo's Bingo
escapism and mayhem. The streams are every Tuesday and Saturday each week.
Call for Airbnb owners to act responsibly
OWNERS of Airbnb and other rental properties in
Liverpool are being urged not to host bookings from visitors and tourists during
the Coronavirus pandemic. The council's Environmental Health Team has
received a number of complaints about homes and apartments still being rented
out, despite advice from Health Officials for people not to travel unless it is
absolutely necessary, and Government guidance that short term lets should be
closed.
Cabinet member for public health, Councillor Paul Brant, said:- "Liverpool
is 1 of the most popular tourist destinations in the country and it is
absolutely heart breaking that we are not able to welcome visitors at this time.
However, the health and wellbeing of our residents is absolutely paramount and
the simple fact is that we are in the middle of a pandemic which has already led
to the death of dozens of people in our City, as well as hundreds of confirmed
cases so far. We need the home rental sector to follow the lead of our hotels in
acting responsibly and making sure that they cancel bookings for the foreseeable
future. The more united we are in obeying the restrictions, the quicker we will
reach the peak of infections and the sooner we can get to a position where life
can begin to return to normal. This is not about targeting key workers who are
staying in temporary accommodation to carry out a valuable role in keeping vital
public services going, such as the NHS. It is about unnecessary travel which
flouts the very clear guidelines from the Government's health experts just puts
the lives of innocent people at risk and will prolong the current challenges for
even longer and may need lead to even tougher restrictions on our lives."
There are around 300 properties listed for rent in Liverpool in on the Airbnb
website at the moment. The Council is to write to the listed Airbnb and other
rental providers urging them to make their advertisements very clear that the UK
is subject to restrictions which discourages non-essential travel and makes
going out for sightseeing and other gatherings unlawful. Any complaints
about properties persistently used as short term lets where there is no valid
reason for travel will be referred to the appropriate authorities. Stays
booked on Airbnb before 14 March 2020 for check in dates up until 31 May 2020
are covered by an:- 'extenuating circumstances' policy with a
variety of cancellation and refund options, and hosts can cancel without charge
or impact on their Superhost status. More information is available at
AirBnB.Co.UK.
New helpline goes live to support people's
mental health
LOCAL NHS Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP),
has launched a new mental health helpline for residents of Cheshire West,
Cheshire East and Wirral. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it is open
to people of all ages including children and young people who need urgent mental
health support. The helpline is part of the NHS Long Term Plan to improve access
to mental health support. Originally due to go live next year, it has been
fast tracked to be available to support local people during the Covid-19
pandemic.
Suzanne Edwards, Acting Director of Operations, said:- "I am delighted
that we now have a dedicated local helpline for people with concerns about their
mental health. The dedicated phone number:- 0300 303 3972 should now be
everyone's first port of call for urgent mental health help in Cheshire and
Wirral. It is operated by local NHS staff who can connect people experiencing
mental health issues with the best local support. Launching a new service in
such a short space of time, under the current circumstances, is testament to our
very dedicated staff and I would like to say a big thank you to all involved.
Having joined the team on one of their first shifts this weekend, I know they
are already making a really positive difference to local people by helping those
that need specialist support in a timely, person centred way."
What to do if you need urgent mental health help:-
► Please call:- 0300 303 3972 and our dedicated local NHS staff will support you
to access the help you need.
► The helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is open to people of
all ages; including children and young people.
► The helpline is now the 1st port of call for mental health help; it is
operated by people in your local area who will know how best to support you. If
you call NHS111 you may have to wait longer for help and will be re-directed to
this local service; so call:- 0300 303 3972.
► Please note, A&E and 999 are not the best places to get help for the majority
of mental health problems; call:- 0300 303 3972 to be directed to the best local
service to support you.
► You should still call:- 999 or go to A&E if you have an immediate, life
threatening emergency requiring mental or physical health assistance.
► For non-urgent help and general wellbeing advice, the CWP website contains
information and links to resources to support people with anxiety, low mood, and
worries relating to the current Covid-19 pandemic:-
CWP.NHS.UK.
► For children and young people there is also a dedicated website:-
MyMind.Org.UK.
North West Ambulance Service - Children
THE North West Ambulance Service has said that:-
"There have been big changes in our lives because of Coronavirus and this is
difficult for everyone, but in particular children who may not understand why
they must stay at home. Check out the Children's Commissioner
website for some really handy resources for
younger people. They help explain the situation to them as well as helpful tips
and ideas to keep youngsters entertained whilst they're staying at home."
Care worker loses husband, is diagnosed with
Covid-19 and is sacked by 'trigger happy' managers
UNISON is urging Merseyside care company 365 Support
to rethink its decision to sack a care worker for missing a disciplinary meeting
while she awaited a Covid-19 diagnosis. The employee; who had worked for 365
Support, in Southport, for 5 years; suffered further devastation when, on the
day she was sacked, her husband died of a heart attack soon after hearing she'd
contracted the virus. Her attempts to appeal against her dismissal have been
blocked by 365 Support managers, who want to postpone the hearing because of the
pandemic, her union said. The delay means she and her family will have no income
from the time of her sacking in March until the crisis is over. The unnecessary
financial pressure will only add to the excruciating grief and fear the family
is feeling, says UNISON. UNISON is asking 365 Support to pay the worker until
the hearing takes place.
UNISON Sefton branch secretary Glen Williams said:- "While the country
claps for our carers, heartless company bosses have chosen to sack a care worker
without even giving her a chance to defend herself. To add insult to injury, 365
Support is now trying to postpone the appeal because of COVID-19, leaving her
and her family with no income. Trigger happy bosses have jumped the gun and made
a terrible situation even worse."
UNISON North West regional manager Kevin Lucas said:- "This is a desperate
case that's made worse by the shocking way 365 Support has behaved. Sadly, this
callous disregard for staff is commonplace in the social care sector. Care
workers are on the front line of the fight against this pandemic and are rightly
cherished for the work they do. Yet a care employee was sacked on the worst day
of her life without a chance to defend herself, that's plainly wrong."
We have contacted 365 Support for a comment.
--- (UPDATE - 8 April 2020)
You can read comment from 365 Support by
clicking on
here
now!
Covid-19 support for employers
THE UK Government has announced an extensive package
of financial measures, including the Job Retention Scheme, a Statutory Sick Pay
rebate package for small and medium enterprises, and deferred VAT and Income Tax
payments.
If you have fewer than 250 employees, you will be able to reclaim Statutory Sick
Pay for employees unable to work because they are sick with Coronavirus. This
refund will be for up to 2 weeks per employee.
If you employ people, you are urged to use your discretion about what evidence,
if any, you ask for when making decisions about sick pay. If evidence is
required, employees can get an Isolation Note from NHS 111 online
https://111.nhs.uk/ if they have symptoms, or if they live with someone that has
symptoms.
You can get help to find the right support, advice and information to help with
the impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) on your business by visiting:-
BusinessSupport.Gov.UK and also:-
Gov.UK.
For those businesses that find themselves needing to increase their workforce as
a result of the outbreak, such as those in:- social care, food logistics,
preparation and retail, remember to post vacancies on Find a Job.
MP backs new Labour leader to "support
and challenge" through virus crisis
SEFTON Central MP Bill Esterson says new Labour leader Keir Starmer is the right
person to lead the party and effectively challenge the Government through the
coronavirus crisis. Mr Esterson had backed the front runner Starmer, who won the
Labour leadership contest on Saturday with 56.2% of 1st round votes. Rebecca
Long Bailey and Lisa Nandy received 27% and 16% of the votes respectively after
running "positive campaigns" said Bill Esterson MP.
Mr Esterson added:- "I backed Keir Starmer for leader so was obviously delighted
to see him announced as winner after a long process. It is now time for the
party to come together to provide the opposition this country needs in this time
of great challenge. Keir is the right person at this time to effectively
support; but also challenge where needed; the Government as we all play our part
in tackling the current health crisis. Keirs message of unity won over members
up and down the country; we need to ensure that we model that through the whole
of the Labour Party now. It is clear that Labour comes out of this contest
stronger, with Rebecca and Lisa running really positive campaigns. The election
result in December was devastating for Labour and we cannot repeat it. That's why
Keirs campaign was all about focusing the Party on winning elections. Only then
can we change peoples lives. We need to restore peoples trust in the Labour
Party as a force for good; a crucial part of that is tackling antisemitism.
Nobody could have predicted ending in these circumstances; and regardless of the
result, our thoughts are with all those affected by Coronavirus, and our
brilliant NHS. The Labour Partys number one priority right now is working with
the Government to help the country get through this."
Following the new leaders appearance on:- The Andrew Marr show on Sunday, Mr Esterson tweeted:-
"Fantastic interview by the Leader of @UKLabour @Keir_Starmer on
@AndrewMarr9 A clear plan, calm, reassuring and constructive on #COVID19 without
point scoring. 10 out of 10!"
After reports of the Prime Minister being admitted to hospital with Coronavirus
on Sunday, and his pregnant partner Carrie Symonds suffering symptoms, the MP
tweeted:- "Get well soon @BorisJohnson and Carrie Symonds. The fact the
Prime Minister and his partner are this ill is a reminder of just how dangerous
this virus is. Please everyone take this seriously."
To see the results in the leadership and deputy leadership contest, click
here.
Keir was backed by 374 local constituency Labour Party groups; and 88 MPs.
Total UK cases
COVID-19 Cases Update for Liverpool City Region and
surroundings
THE number of fatalities rise by
786 to 6,159. The number of COVID-19 infections has risen by
3,634 in just a day, to 55,242, the Department of Health
said. In England, there are a total of 42,990 confirmed
cases. North West - total of 6,090 confirmed cases. Current
confirmed cases within the following local authorities are
as follows:-
► Liverpool, 552 confirmed cases.
► Sefton, 289 confirmed cases.
► Wirral, 262 confirmed cases.
► St. Helens, 239 confirmed cases.
► Halton, 107 confirmed cases.
► Lancashire, 923 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire West and Chester, 227 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire East, 209 confirmed cases.
► Manchester, 361 confirmed cases.
► Stockport, 270 confirmed cases.
► Trafford, 240 confirmed cases.
► Wigan, 197 confirmed cases.
► Bolton, 185 confirmed cases.
► Rochdale, 186 confirmed cases.
► Bury, 151 confirmed cases.
► Tameside, 182 confirmed cases.
► Oldham, 232 confirmed cases.
► Blackburn with Darwen, 86 confirmed cases.
These stats are according to Public Health England as of
07/04/2020.
PLEASE ALSO SEE OUR WEEKLY
EDITION... Click
here
to see it!
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