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UK STATISTICS
There have been more than eight million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and almost 138,000 people have died, government figures show. Around 86% of people in the UK aged 12 nd over have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and around 79% have had their second.
Total UK Cases: 8,272,883 positive tests
Latest UK daily figure: 42,776 new cases
Number in UK hospital: 7,011, 1 fewer than on previous day
New deaths across UK: 136
Total UK deaths: 138,080
England Cases per 100,000: 385
R number in UK: 0.9 to 1.1
Vaccine data:
Total 1st doses given: 49,252,939 – 90% of UK aged 16+
Total 2nd doses: 45,239,759 – 82%
Daily 1st doses: 36,487
Daily 2nd doses: 26,946
Latest Stockport data:
Total Stockport cases: 42,759 to 13 October
Cases in the latest week: 1,725, 164 more than previous week
Total deaths: 758 to October 1st (+1)
Cases per 100,000: 586 per 100,000 week ending 9 October
R number in North West: 0.9 – 1.1
Stockport vaccine data:
1st dose: 81% of over 12s to 11 October
2nd dose: 76%
The R value and growth rate
The R range for England is 0.9 to 1.1 and the growth rate range for England is -1% to +2% per day as of 8 October 2021
Slides, datasets and transcripts to accompany coronavirus press conferences
Updated with slides to accompany coronavirus press conferences
UK NEWS UPDATES:
GP rescue plan to encourage face-to-face consultations
GPs in England are being told to see more patients face-to-face as ministers unveil a £250m winter rescue package. The emergency funding is being handed to GPs so they can recruit extra locum staff with an emphasis on providing more same-day appointments. Social distancing rules are also expected to be relaxed so that GPs can bring more people into their buildings. It comes amid mounting criticism about the fall in face-to-face appointments since the start of the pandemic.
Lateral flow test more accurate than first thought
Lateral flow tests (LFTs) are very good at detecting people most likely to spread Covid-19 and positive results should be trusted, say University College London researchers. When LFTs were introduced, they were criticised for being less accurate than PCR tests, which are analysed in a lab. But PCR tests are costly in comparison and therefore not seen as an effective way to carry out repeated testing.
One third of people with Covid can spread it while showing no symptoms.
Based on the UCL research, Prof Irene Petersen, lead study author, said people who get a positive LFT result “should trust them and stay at home”.
Last chance for scientists to find origin of Covid
The World Health Organization (WHO) says a new taskforce may be the last chance to find the origins of Covid-19. It has nominated 26 experts to join the body, the Scientific Advisory Group on the Origins of Novel Pathogens (Sago). More than a year-and-a-half since the virus was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the question of how it first emerged remains unclear. The team will consider if the virus jumped from animals to humans in Wuhan markets or leaked in a lab accident.
China has strongly refuted the second theory. In February, a WHO team tasked with investigating Covid’s origins flew to China and concluded that the virus had probably come from bats but that more work was needed. The team called the lab leak theory “extremely unlikely”.
REGIONAL & LOCAL NEWS:
Financial support for HGVs, private hire and other vehicles to launch this Winter ahead of Clean Air Zone
Applications for financial support for Greater Manchester-registered HGVs to comply with Clean Air Zone rules will launch on 30th November, with funding for other vehicles including private hire taxis launching at the end of January.
The launch dates were confirmed following a report to the Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee, with the Clean Air Zone for the city-region’s roads coming into affect on 30th May 2022. The Clean Air Zone aims to reduce harmful NO2 pollution on Greater Manchester’s road network by levying a daily charge on the most polluting commercial vehicles; unlike a congestion charge, privately-owned vehicles will not be affected.
Aldi targets Stockport in move to open 100 new stores
Stockport is included on a list of Aldi’s target UK towns and cities as the supermarket announced its intention to open 100 new stores in the next two years. The discount grocer, which now has more than 920 stores across the UK, is searching for freehold town-centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for property development.
It has pledged to invest £1.3 billion by 2023 in a bid to further grow its retail estate, as it continues to push ahead with plans to open an average of one new store a week. The supermarket says it is on the lookout for sites that are big enough to accommodate a 20,000sq ft store and around 100 dedicated parking spaces, preferably on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access. Some of the other areas it is targeting in the North-West include Macclesfield and Runcorn.
Norcros upgrades full year profit estimates
Wilmslow-based bathroom and kitchen supplies group Norcros has upgraded its profit forecast for the year, following a particularly strong first half. In a trading update this morning, it said the group’s outperformance of the market experienced in the second half of the prior year has continued in the first half of this year, reflecting both increased activity in the UK and South Africa RMI markets and the strength of its customer proposition. Group revenue for the 26 week period is expected to be approximately £200m, compared with £135.3m in 2020 and £181.2m in 2019, 49% higher on a reported basis than the COVID-19 impacted prior year (2020) and 18% higher than 2019 on a constant currency like for like basis.
Mount Recyclemore leaves Stockport for the Eden Project
Four months after the G7 leaders made headlines around the globe with an historic dinner at the Eden Project in Cornwall they are making a dramatic return in the form of a gigantic installation – in time for International E-Waste Day on Thursday October 14. Mount Recyclemore is being re-installed between the main gate and the Biomes at the Eden Project near St Austell, after spending the summer outside musicMagpie’s head office at Stockport Exchange.
Pop-Up vaccination clinics for home-schooled youngsters
12 to 15-year-olds in Stockport educated outside local authority schools through home schooling or distance learning, as well as those who have missed their in-school appointments due to illness or absence, will now be able to access their Covid-19 vaccination at pop-up clinics in October. The clinics will take place at Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Gardens, 351 Bramhall Lane, SK3 8TP, on Monday, 25 October, and Wednesday, 27 October, from 8.30am – 4.30pm. The 12-15 year olds are being offered one dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Letters and consent forms have been sent out to households, but consent forms will also be available at the clinics to complete on the day.
SECTOR SPECIFIC CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS:
BUSINESS:
Dominos seeks 8,000 drivers ahead of Christmas rush
Domino’s Pizza says it intends to hire more than 8,000 drivers in the UK and Ireland in the run-up to Christmas. The fast-food chain has already recruited thousands of workers in the past year or so to keep up with demand. The latest move comes as a nationwide shortage of goods vehicle drivers continues to plague the UK economy.
Dominos said it offered good long-term prospects, as more than 90% of store managers had started in the kitchen or as delivery drivers. It also stressed that most of the jobs on offer were permanent and not just for Christmas. However, it may still have a struggle recruiting the workers it needs, according to analysis by job site Indeed. At the start of this month, the share of searches being made for seasonal roles by jobseekers was 27% lower than in the same period in 2019 and down 33% on its 2018 level.
COMMUNITY:
COVID-19 vaccination: consent form for children and young people or parents
COVID-19 vaccination consent form for children and young people or parents and carers – added revised consent form for children, young people or parents and carers in various formats.
Private providers of coronavirus (COVID-19) testing
Lists of and information about private providers who have self-declared that they meet the government’s minimum standards for the type of commercial COVID-19 testing service they offer – updated the general list of providers.
EDUCATION:
Government investment supports rural communities with faster internet speeds
Children in more than a thousand schools now have access to faster gigabit internet speeds due to government investment. The upgrades form part of a more than £210m investment by the government to bring more modern connections to places, including 1,084 schools and libraries, where internet speeds are slower, such as in rural areas. Most schools in the UK are in urban or suburban areas which already have access to fast full fibre broadband, but this investment focused on schools in around 30 per cent of the UK that currently cannot access speeds of 100 megabits per second and were not in line to receive an upgrade commercially from broadband companies.
HEALTH & WELLBEING:
Face coverings and COVID-19: statement from an expert panel
An expert panel statement, informed by evidence and expertise, on the role of face coverings in mitigating COVID-19 transmission
Adult social care in England statistics: background quality and methodology
How the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) puts together the data in its monthly reports – updated to reflect a change in vaccination rate methodology, and updates infection control and testing funds.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for adult social care settings
Outlines the COVID-19 testing available for testing staff, residents and visitors for all adult social care settings – updated to reflect policy has now changed regarding self-isolation for fully vaccinated individuals following contact with a COVID-19 positive case. References to lockdown also removed to reflect the easing of national COVID-19 restrictions.
Monthly statistics for adult social care (England)
Experimental statistics on a range of topics including infection control measures, COVID-19 vaccinations and testing for COVID-19 in adult social care settings.
UKHSA review into IPC guidance
Recommendations for changes to COVID-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) advice to help ease pressure on the NHS – added ‘Recommendation 4: a more flexible approach to patient consultations in primary care and general practice’.
PROPERTY:
Britain’s housing value soars 20% in five years, much of it in 2021
The total value of homes in Britain has risen 20 per cent – that’s £1.6 trillion – in the past five years according to Zoopla. There’s been a sharp acceleration in value over the past year in particular, driven by soaring demand for homes and the pandemic-led search for space. As a result, over a third of the past five years’ price growth has come in the past 12 months alone. The total value of homes in Britain currently stands at £9.2 trillion. The majority of this, some £8.2 trillion, is held within 23.5 million privately-owned homes, whilst a further £1 trillion is held within five million social homes. Zoopla says sustained price growth in the housing market since 2016 has been underpinned by ultra-low mortgage rates.
Covid & Brexit may undo house price rises
Rising inflation triggered by the supply chain crisis following Brexit and the pandemic may undermine recent house price gains according to a leading analyst. The Home house price index now shows that three regions have house price growth lower than the latest ONS inflation figure of 5.0 per cent. The latest edition of the index says that the stamp duty holiday and Covid-inspired ‘race for space’ contributed to high house price growth for sales and lettings. But it then says: “Despite all these paper gains in both the sales and rental markets, monetary inflation looks set to make it a zero-sum game. Moreover, price growth is tailing off in several formerly hot regions and others look set to follow.
COVID-19 and renting: guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities
Non-statutory guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities in the private and social rented sectors in the context of Coronavirus (COVID-19) – guidance for landlords and tenants updated to reflect the end of the Rental Mediation Service pilot.
Understanding the possession action process: guidance for landlords and tenants
Guidance for landlords and tenants in the private and social rented sectors to explain the possession action process in the county courts in England and Wales.
TRAVEL:
Manchester Airport boss optimistic for sector en-route to recovery
Managing Director Karen Smart: “The last 18 months have been the toughest the aviation industry has faced in its entire history, with traffic levels dropping to as low as 5% of usual volumes at the height of the pandemic.” Karen continued: “Prolonged restrictions on travel have undoubtedly held back our recovery to date, as customers found themselves grappling with confusing guidance or requirements, and the associated cost of testing. However, after changes to the Government’s travel restrictions were announced last week, we are feeling a sense of excitement about our airports starting to return to how we knew them before the pandemic. Bookings have surged on the back of the simplification of the traffic light system, and again after it was confirmed more destinations would move off the red list and that PCR tests will no longer be required for those returning to the country by the end of the month. And our excitement is two-fold, because we have been able to welcome back so many of our colleagues, who have spent time on furlough over the past 18 months or so. Being able to bring them back just at the time we will start to see travel resume in earnest feels extra special.”
Covid-19 Webinars:
Remote education webinars
How to access school-led webinars on remote education to help share good practice – new dates for webinars for teachers added.
Help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)
Watch videos and register for the free webinars to learn more about the support available to help you deal with the economic impacts of coronavirus. The YouTube video for Self-Employment Income Support Scheme – Universal Credit and Child Benefit has been updated.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – How to make a claim:
This guides you through making a claim, including the essential information you need, what to do before you make your claim, calculating and processing your claim.
Choose a date and time
If you’ve missed any of HMRC’s live webinars, you can catch up series of recorded webinars on HMRC’s YouTube channel – available at a time to suit you.
Brexit Webinars:
Exporting: Actions you need to take now: An overview of the actions you need to take now before you export goods from Great Britain to the EU and move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Key processes include – staged border controls, zero-rated VAT, customs declaration, using an intermediary as well as licences, certificates, and authorisations. Please register to take part if you’re planning to export.
Trader responsibilities when using an intermediary: You now need to complete import or export declarations to trade goods with the EU. These are complex and a lot of businesses choose to use an intermediary to do these for them. This webinar explains your responsibilities as a trader if you choose to use an intermediary. Please register to take part if you’re planning to import or export.
What are customs import declarations?: If you import goods, you now need to make customs import declarations on controlled goods and all goods by the end of June. This webinar will help you understand what they are in more detail. This includes what is needed for simplified declarations, supplementary declarations, how to make them, and delayed import declarations. Please register to take part if you’re planning to import.
Importing: Staged controls and how to prepare to use them: This webinar will walk you through the three stages of the new border controls introduced on 1?? ?January?? ?2021, and what actions you need to take for each stage. Please register to take part if you’re planning to import.
LATEST LINKS:
Repayment period for Bounce Back Loans extended to ten years
Businesses that took out government Bounce Back loans to help them through the Coronavirus crisis now have more time to repay. Companies will be contacted with options to extend the length of the loan from six to 10 years as part of a new ‘pay-as-you-grow’ initiative. The new proposals give businesses three new options:
1. Extending the length of the loan from six years to 10;
2. Making interest-only payments for six months, then repaying the principal on a phased basis with other interest-only periods;
3. Delaying repayments entirely for up to six months.
Financial support for businesses during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Pay VAT deferred due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
Find out how to pay VAT payments deferred between 20 March and 30 June 2020.
Report an outbreak of Coronavirus in Stockport:
https://www.stockport.gov.uk/coronavirus-in-stockport/report-a-coronavirus-outbreak
Home workers can claim £26 tax relief for job expenses
If you’ve asked your employees to work from home, and you’ve not reimbursed them already, your employees may be entitled to claim tax relief on additional household expenses they’ve incurred, such as heating and lighting.
New hotline launched to report COVID fraudsters
A new hotline has been launched to stop fraudsters illegally targeting COVID stimulus schemes.
If you would like to register your interest in creating one or more Kickstart Job, please complete the Kickstart Employer Enquiry Form and a member of the Council’s Kickstart Team will contact you to explain more.
Kickstart Scheme
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to employers to create job placements for 16 to 24 year olds.
Kickstart Scheme terms and conditions
Kickstart Scheme terms and conditions for employers and gateways receiving the Kickstart Scheme grant from the Department for Work and Pensions.
Kickstart Scheme employer resources
If you’ve been offered Kickstart Scheme funding, you can use these resources to show your support for the scheme.
Kickstart Scheme employer contacts
List of regional contacts for employers applying for a grant through the Kickstart Scheme.
Apply for a Kickstart Scheme grant: 30 or more job placements
If you are an employer looking to create 30 or more jobs placements for young people, apply for funding as part of the Kickstart Scheme.
Apply for a Kickstart Scheme grant: 29 or less job placements
If you are an employer looking to create 29 or less jobs placements for young people, apply for funding as part of the Kickstart Scheme.
Visit the Stockport Council website to report details of any outbreaks online.
https://www.stockport.gov.uk/coronavirus-in-stockport/report-a-coronavirus-outbreak
Opening times for Stockport Council Coronavirus Helpline
The helpline for vulnerable people across Stockport can now be accessed through new opening times by calling 0161 217 6046:
• Monday – Thursday from 9am to 5pm
• Friday from 9am to 4.30pm
• Saturdays from 10am to 1pm
At busy times, residents are automatically offered a call-back from one of our call handlers.
New tools and resources available from Acas:
Redundancy letter templates
Redundancy process map
Acas have also contributed to the development of a new return to work toolkit in partnership with SOM, CIPD, BITC and Mind.
Business Support in Stockport – a centre pool of information to support business owners in Stockport:
www.skbusinessrecovery.co.uk
Government – Guidance on Returning to Work safely
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Stockport Council’s FREE job matching website helps support employers with vacancies and individuals across the Stockport borough who are looking for work. The service, Stockport Jobs Match, will help to connect employers who have urgent temporary or permanent vacancies with applicants who are immediately available and in need of employment. The website also helps signpost individuals to available support services and information. www.stockport-jobsmatch.co.uk
Stockport Council – Health & Mental Well-being https://www.stockport.gov.uk/showcase/coronavirus
Government – Financial Support
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – online claims portal open
Government – Business Support:
Government launches new coronavirus business support finder tool
Government – Business Support Hub:
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support
Government – IT safety support:
Government Warnings Over Coronavirus Scams – Here’s How to Protect Yourself
Government – Financial Support:
HMRC has published guidance on how it will work out income and profits for the self-employed or those in a partnership who have lost profits due to coronavirus.
Government – Business Support: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
Government – Financial Support: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding
Government – Business Support:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses
Gov.uk: Maintaining Educational Provision: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision
Business Growth Hub:
www.businessgrowthhub.com/coronavirus https://www.businessgrowthhub.com/coronavirus/resources/2020/03/coronavirus-business-support-webinar-series
Employment – Useful information for the Self-Employed:
News and Guidance for the self-employed:
Concerned how Coronavirus might impact you and your business?
Please get in touch with Enterprising You and you will be connected to someone who can help.
You can also access information and guidance including the latest Government updates via www.businessgrowthhub.com/coronavirus
Can you claim back Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay in the Rebate Scheme
From Tuesday 26 May 2020, small and medium-sized employers, with fewer than 250 employees, will be able to apply to recover the costs of paying coronavirus-related Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) payments they have made to their employees. Health updates:
Health – updates from NHS
https://www.england.nhs.uk/news/
Health – Dedicated helpline to support vulnerable residents in Stockport:
Support can be accessed by calling 0161 217 6046 Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
Health – Dedicated health & wellbeing services:
24/7 mental health helpline & safe haven for anyone over the age of 18 in Stockport (0800 138 7276).
Health – An Emotional Wellbeing Hub which provides information, advice, and guidance for anyone up to the age of 25 for emotional wellbeing and mental health concerns. 0161 217 6028 – 8.30am-5pm Mon – Thurs 8.30am-4.30pm on Friday.
Community – Guidance for businesses seeking to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
How businesses can offer services, funds and volunteers to civil society during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Find out more information here.