LGA responds
to latest test and trace figures
THE Local Government
Association's Community (LGA) has responded to the publication
of the NHS Test and Trace service figures for the period 2 July
to 8 July 2020, Cllr Paulette Hamilton, the LGA's Vice Chair,
Wellbeing Board, said:- "Those testing positive for
COVID-19 have a responsibility to help halt its transmission and
protect those most at risk. It is good that the majority of
people testing positive are being reached and are passing on
details of their close contacts. Council public health teams
remain ready to use their unique expertise, including speaking
other languages, and understanding of their communities to try
to reach those who cannot be contacted by the system. They need
information on who they should be trying to contact, including
the 618 people who could not be reached most recently. More
information is being shared with councils, but it is vital that
this data is available daily. With the right powers,
flexibilities, data and long term funding, councils can help to
manage potential outbreaks and prevent the spread of infection."
easyJet starts flights out
of Liverpool and gets ready for the 2021 season
EUROPE'S leading
airline, easyJet, has confirmed flying to even more destinations
from Liverpool will resume throughout August 2020, with great
value fares still available for those who want to take a well
deserved summer sun getaway this year. In June 2020 flights
began operating for the 1st time since the airline grounded its
fleet at the end of March as a result of Covid-19 and now from
August the airline will resume flying to more destinations
including Dalaman and Bodrum in Turkey, and the Greek island of
Zakynthos, in addition to a range of routes already operating
throughout July 2020. The airline is also launching flights on a
new routes from the first time from Liverpool to Antalya in
Turkey from 30 July 2020. In addition, easyJet has today put its
full Summer 2021 flights sale so in addition to last minute
deals still available for this summer, customers now have the
chance to book early and make huge savings on summer holiday
flights for 2021.
Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK Country Manager commented:- "We
are really pleased to be able to be resuming flights to even
more destinations throughout August to get customers away on
their much needed summer holiday this year. Of course, the
safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew remains our
highest priority. This is why we have implemented a number of
measures enhancing safety at each part of the journey from
disinfecting the aircraft to requiring customers and crew to
wear masks. These measures will remain in place for as long as
is needed to ensure customers and crew are able to fly safely as
the world continues to recover from the impact of the
Coronavirus pandemic. And with summer being so popular for
families travelling with us, easyJet has teamed up with a
superhero illustrator to create comic book inspired face mask
covers for children flying this summer to help ease the
experience for both kids and parents. Irish artist Will Sliney,
best known for his work on Marvel comics Spider-Man and Star
Wars, has created a range of new comic book inspired face mask
covers for young easyJet flyers. We're also putting even more
flights on sale today for Summer next year. We're launching
Summer 2021 earlier than ever before so that customers can book
early to get the best value fares on flights to hundreds of
destinations across our network, and customers have more options
if they want to rebook their Summer 2020 holidays."
With flights now on sale up until 30 September 2021, customers
whose travel plans have been affected by the pandemic now have
more options to rebook their trip. The airline has been bringing
its on sale schedule forward throughout lockdown to provide more
opportunity for customers to rebook and is continuing to offer
additional flexibility for new and existing bookings to move
flights without a change fee up to 14 days ahead of departure.
Customers can make changes to their booking online via the
Manage Bookings section on:-
easyJet.com.
Make sure you dispose of
disposable barbecues or hot coals safely
SEFTON Council is
reminding people barbecues or hot coals, after using a charcoal
or disposable barbecues, to do so safely. Also that you must not
use barbecues on the Sefton Coastline! The dispose of disposable
barbecues can be a headache and nobody wants a bin fire outside
their home, in the pinewoods or sand dunes! Similarly, Sefton
Council doesn't want still smouldering barbecues setting fire to
its waste collection vehicles, which is what happened, in
Southport, on Wednesday, 15 July 2020. The Coastal Road was
closed temporarily between Woodvale and Pontins after a fire
broke out in a Council Waste Disposal Vehicle. The cause of the
fire was found to be a barbecue that had not been properly
extinguished.
Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member for
Locality Services said:- "We would like to remind our
residents not to put disposable barbecues or hot coals in their
waste bins because, as we discovered yesterday, they can cause a
fire inside our refuse collection vehicles. As well as causing
extensive and expensive damage to our vehicles this also puts
our collection crews at serious risk. Disposable barbecues and
hot coals can take up to 48 hours to fully cool. Please leave
these items in a safe place to cool or soak them in water before
you put them in your waste bin."
Also please remember that disposable barbecues are not currently
recyclable, so they cannot be put in recycling bins either!
Covid19 Job
Retention Scheme furlough over claim warning
AN accountants in
Southport has told us that they have issued a warning to
businesses to watch out for spam emails regarding the Job
Retention Scheme. They have said that there are lots around and
you are unlikely to be contacted by HMRC by email. But, they
added:- "It won't be much of a surprise that HMRC will be
looking to claw back as much furlough as they can where
employers have over claimed monies for furlough. The HMRC have
had a hotline for employees to report in if they have been
required to work whilst on furlough, there have been thousands
of cases where this has happened. Once all of the dust has
settled HMRC will carry out investigations, they will obviously
target employers who have been reported, they will also include
questions about furlough claims in any future PAYE audit. As is
the case for all payroll records, you should keep your furlough
records for 6 years or more. Legislation will shortly be passed
to enable HMRC to claw back any over claimed furlough monies.
There will be an opportunity with a limited time period to
correct any over claimed furlough claims. Where over claimed
applications are not corrected, HMRC will treat this behaviour
as deliberate and concealed, they will seek to recover any over
claimed amounts and apply a penalty of 50% of the amount that
has been over claimed." Phil.
Total UK cases COVID-19 cases - update for Liverpool City Region
and surroundings
THE total number of UK
Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections that have been laboratory
confirmed, within the UK, has risen by 642 cases and the total
number now stand at 292,552, that includes tests carried out by
commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National
totals.
Daily number of COVID-19 associated UK fatalities added to the
total, was sadly reported to be 66 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 45,119.
In England, there are a total of 251,482 confirmed cases. North
West - total of 43,766 confirmed cases. The number of laboratory
confirmed cases within the following Local Authorities, in and
around the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-
► Liverpool, 2,474 confirmed cases.
► Sefton, 1,529 confirmed cases.
► Wirral, 2,038 confirmed cases.
► St. Helens, 1,200 confirmed cases
► Halton, 894 confirmed cases.
► Blackpool, 1,031 confirmed cases.
► Blackburn with Darwen, 1,106 confirmed cases.
► Bolton, 1,881 confirmed cases.
► Bury, 1,291 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire West and Chester, 1,989 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire East, 2,210 confirmed cases.
► Lancashire, 6,790 confirmed cases.
► Manchester, 2,987 confirmed cases.
► Oldham, 1,890 confirmed cases.
► Rochdale, 1,673 confirmed cases.
► Stockport, 1,641 confirmed cases.
► Tameside, 1,537 confirmed cases.
► Trafford, 1,271 confirmed cases.
► Wigan, 2,141 confirmed cases..