UK STATISTICS
There have been about 8.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and nearly 138,000 people have died, government figures show. Around 86% of people in the UK aged 12 and over have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and around 79% have had their second.
Total UK Cases: 8,541,192 positive tests
Latest UK daily figure: 43,798 new cases
Number in UK hospital: 7,749, 351 more than on previous day
New deaths across UK: 223
Total UK deaths: 138,852
England Cases per 100,000: 466 (rising)
R number in UK: 0.9 to 1.1
Vaccine data:
Total 1st doses given: 49,462,425 – 90% of UK aged 16+
Total 2nd doses: 45,377,411 – 82%
Daily 1st doses: 39,672
Daily 2nd doses: 23,579
Latest Stockport data:
Total Stockport cases: 44,111 to 19 October
Cases in the latest week: 1,688, 5 fewer than previous week
Total deaths: 758 to October 1st (+1)
Cases per 100,000: 574 per 100,000 week ending 15 October
R number in North West: 0.9 – 1.1
Stockport vaccine data:
1st dose: 82% of over 12s to 17 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 15 October 2021
Slides, datasets and transcripts to accompany coronavirus press conferences
Updated with slides to accompany coronavirus press conferences
UK NEWS UPDATES:
UK cost of living dips in September
Price rises dipped slightly in September as the economy continued to reopen, according to official figures. The increase in the cost of living, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index, fell to 3.1% in the year to September, down from 3.2% in August. Higher prices for transport were the biggest contributor to price rises.
It comes after the Bank of England warned it “will have to act” over rising inflation, suggesting interest rates may rise soon. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the inflation rate fell back slightly last month because prices in restaurants rose less this August than last when the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme was running.
Government says no as NHS call for some Covid restrictions to be introduced
The NHS Confederation said ministers’ “Plan B” back-up strategy, including mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces, should be implemented.
UK cases have been rising sharply but deaths are well below the winter peak.
The government says it has “absolutely no plan” for further measures but is keeping a “very close eye” on the data. Daily Covid cases have been above 40,000 for seven days in a row, with 43,738 new infections reported yesterday. Another 223 deaths were recorded, the highest since March, although daily figures are often more on Tuesdays.
REGIONAL & LOCAL NEWS:
TfN urges region to take fresh look at post-pamdemic train travel
Transport for the North (TfN) is urging people across the region to take a fresh look at train travel following a number of improvement works carried out on the network during the pandemic. Calls for more people in the North to reconsider train travel come as roads in the region are busier than at any time in the past 18 months, with many of the region’s cities facing daily, lengthy traffic jams as more people return to workplaces after the coronavirus pandemic. As TfN also hosts its first Community Rail Week and ‘Go Green by Train’ campaign, the sub-national transport body argues there are more reasons than ever to consider rail travel.
Net your very own Stockport frog – win a frog at the frog auction
Net your own frog from Stockport’s Gigantic Leap Frog Art Trail before they’re going… going… Gone! The 21 gigantic frogs that made up Stockport’s Gigantic Leap Frog Art Trail throughout the summer and seven of the One Stockport frogs that took up residence across the borough have hopped out of Stockport to prepare to go under the hammer before hopping of for pastures and ponds new! Taking place at Stockport County’s Edgeley Park ground, this is your chance to net yourself your very own frog. Did you have a favourite frog? Could Spider Frog be hopping over your garden gate? Yves San Le Frog will certainly add a touch of glamour. And petrol heads are sure to want to park GulpOil Racing on the drive. With 28 vibrant frogs to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
North-west green energy project set to receive government funding
A plan to transform the North-West into one of the world’s first low-carbon industrial clusters has been named as a forerunner in a government scheme – and could now be set to receive major funding. The project has been awarded ‘track one’ status from the Government’s carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) scheme, and will now enter into negotiations with viability checks ahead of pulling in support from a £1bn fund. HyNet would aim to cut emissions quicker than other industry clusters across the country – reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 10m tonnes every year by 2030, which is the equivalent of taking 4m cars off the road.
Digiknow: It’s Get Online Week in Stockport
Stockport is marking Get Online Week (18th to 24th October) with more than 60 sessions at the One Stockport Hub in Merseyway and other venues across the borough, where people can learn the essential skills needed for today’s digital world. The theme of Get Online Week this year is ‘Get online. Get connected.’
Vernon’s 2022 Stockport Charity Calendar on sale now
Vernon’s Charity Calendar – created from the winners of the building society’s annual photography competition – is now on sale in the building society’s six branches. All proceeds from the sale of this year’s ‘Celebration of Stockport’ calendar will go to St Ann’s Hospice.
SECTOR SPECIFIC CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS:
BUSINESS:
HMRC: latest information about the closure of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Rebate scheme.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme:
- The scheme closed on 30 September, the final deadline for claims was 14 October
- If you need to amend a claim you must do so 28th October
- Keep records for six years
- Include grants as income on your company, partnership or your individual tax return for the tax year of receipt, depending upon business type
Search Plan for Jobs for other Government support
Submit your Kickstart Scheme vacancies
Submit your Kickstart Scheme vacancies after you’ve received a successful outcome to your online Kickstart Scheme grant application.
CARE:
Vaccination of people working or deployed in care homes: operational guidance
From 11 November 2021, anyone working or volunteering in a care home will need to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19), unless exempt – in the English language version, updated the sections ‘If an individual has been vaccinated outside of the UK’, ‘Groups that can get a medical exemption’, ‘How to demonstrate your vaccination status’ and ‘Exemptions’ with more information on temporary and formal medical exemptions.
COMMUNITY:
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.
CONSTRUCTION:
House builders and public bodies get biggest CITB training grants
House builders and public sector bodies dominated the league table of recipients of the largest CITB training grants last year. The only contractors to make the list below were Kier, BAM, O’Rourke and O’Halloran and O’Brien.
EDUCATION:
Reported coronavirus (COVID-19) notifications by registered early years and childcare settings
This data is published fortnightly. It gives the number of registered early years and childcare providers reporting one or more confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) by week.
HEALTH & WELLBEING:
UKHSA review into IPC guidance
Recommendations for changes to COVID-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) advice to help ease pressure on the NHS – updated physical distancing advice in ‘Recommendation 1: reduce physical distancing in low risk areas for elective procedures or planned care’ from ‘pre-COVID levels’ to ‘1m’.
COVID-19: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance for healthcare practitioners on the health needs of migrant patients – under ‘COVID-19 translated advice and guidance’, added links to translated guidance on antibody testing, face coverings and COVID-19 vaccination resources for children and young people.
PROPERTY:
Massive leap in equity held by older homeowners
Over-65s saw their property wealth increase by £800 a month recently thanks to frenzied demand during the stamp duty holiday, an equity release firm claims.
Over the past six months property owned outright by over-65s increased in value by £24.225 billion which is an average £4,833 for each older homeowner. Their total property wealth now stands at £1.256 trillion with all parts of Britain benefiting apart from London where property values fell as people looked to leave and central London house prices underperformed.
TRANSPORT:
Haulier advice site locations
Find sites where HGV and coach drivers can get free COVID-19 tests and check their documents to transport goods to the EU – Essex Arena is closed from 6.30am on 23 October until 8am on 25 October. Free 24-hour testing for COVID-19 is available at Thurrock Services from 5am on 23 October until 8am on 25 October 2021.
Haulier coronavirus testing
To monitor the number of tests delivered and the positivity rate of the tests – latest data table added.
Transport use during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
To monitor the use of the transport system during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. DfT provides statistics on transport use by mode.
TRAVEL:
UK government to implement strategic framework to aid sector recovery
The UK government will implement a “strategic framework” by the end of 2021 to help facilitate the recovery of the aviation sector, according to aviation and maritime minister Robert Courts. Speaking at the Airport Operations Association’s (AOA) annual conference on Tuesday (19 September), Courts said the plans will look at how aviation can recover from Covid-19 and “strategic issues” facing the sector.
He said the authority will seek the opinions of the industry on how the plans should take shape, to ensure it is “relevant, practical and useful.” He continued “we are in a period now where we are looking to the future. I’m not saying we’re out of the woods yet, but we can definitely see the edge of the woods. There is an immense appetite for travel, people want to get out and go on holiday or reconnect with loved ones they haven’t seen for so long. We will do everything we can to get back to normal as quickly as possible.” Transport secretary Grant Shapps said the strategic framework will consider domestic routes as part of a “much wider view of the industry as we build back better”.
Winter holiday demand returns to pre-pandemic levels
Winter demand is returning to pre-pandemic levels, according to Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, which has responded by hiking winter 2021/22 capacity for Turkey and the Canary Islands from nine of its 10 UK bases. The airline and operator is putting on extra flights to Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Antalya and Dalaman from Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, and Stansted. It comes after Jet2 previously upped October capacity off the back of the latest changes to the UK’s travel and testing rules. In total, it is offering 43 winter sun, ski and city destinations from its 10 UK bases this winter. “Following the recent easing of travel restrictions, alongside the replacing of Fay 2 PCR tests with lateral flow tests, customers have been flocking to book holidays for winter 2021/22,” said Jet2.
Summary of updates to international travel, October 2021
Changes made to international travel rules during October 2021.
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.
Stockport park unveils tribute to young community hero 
Research finds Covid-19 has not fundamentally changed the UK labour market 
Government sets out ‘Living with COVID’ next steps from 1st April