Latest data:
Testing: 327,608 people have now been tested for the virus (313,769)
New UK Cases: 103,093 have tested positive, + 4,617 on previous day
Loss of life: Sadly, of those in hospital, 13,729 people have died, an increase of 861 on the previous day (12,868)
In Stockport: there are 549 cases of Covid-19 (491 on previous day) and sadly 68 people have died.
Government Daily Briefing:
16th April by The Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, standing in for the Prime Minister, following chairing the Cabinet and leading an emergency Cobra meeting this afternoon
Continuation of Social Distancing Measures
The Government announced today that the current social distancing measures will remain in place for at least the next 3 weeks until 7 May. The advice from SAGE (the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) is that relaxing any of the measures currently in place would risk damage to both public health and our economy.
Raab warned that unlocking at this time would risk an increase in the spread of the virus leading to a second peak, more deaths and causing more damage to the economy.
Foreign Secretary’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 16 April 2020
The slides and datasets used during today’s press conference can be found here. A reminder on the guidance on the closure of certain businesses and venues a part of social distancing can be found here.
LOCAL / REGIONAL UPDATES:
Holiday Inn Express Stockport Open for Key workers
Stockport’s Holiday Inn Express hotel continues to remain open for our NHS and Key Workers. Any businesses that need accommodation during this time please feel free to share the link with them. We do have T&C’s as per government guidance for hotels so if they are unsure then they can feel free to contact me directly.
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. At busy times, residents are automatically offered a call-back from one of our call handlers.
Dedicated health & wellbeing services:
- www.bigwhitewall.com The Big White Wall offers 24/7 anonymous support via a digital emotional wellbeing and mental health service, offering peer support for anyone over the age of 16, support from trained clinicians alongside a range of helpful tools and resources.
- 24/7 mental health helpline and (currently virtual) safe haven for anyone over the age of 18 in Stockport (0800 138 7276),
- 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.
EMPLOYERS / BUSINESSES / FINANCE
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – extended eligibility
An important change has been made to the scheme extending employee eligibility:
- Employers can now claim for employees that were employed and on their PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020. This means that the employee must have been notified to HMRC through an RTI submission notifying payment in respect of that employee on or before 19 March 2020.
- Employees that were employed as of 28 February 2020 and on payroll and were made redundant or stopped working for you after that, and prior to 19 March 2020, can also qualify for the scheme if you re-employ them and put them on furlough.
Further guidance is available here.
Councils given greater financial relief against cash flow pressures
Councils will be allowed to defer £2.6 billion in business rates payments to central government, and £850 million in social care grants will be paid up front this month.
Details of the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) have been revealed.
Brought forward by lenders accredited by the British Business Bank, the initiative will help provide facilities of up to £25m for those with turnover of between £45m and £250m, and facilities of up to £50m for those with revenue of more than £250m, which are suffering disruption to their cashflow.
CLBILS will support term loans, revolving credit facilities, invoice finance and asset finance facilities. It is designed to give lenders “greater confidence to provide funding” by providing a partial guarantee of 80 per cent of the outstanding facility balance.
Chancellor expands loan scheme for large businesses
A government-backed loan scheme for large businesses affected by coronavirus has been expanded to cover all viable firms, the Chancellor announced today.
New case studies and advice have been added to the business support web pages
You can find an update from HMRC’s CEO on what furloughed workers need to know, and how Hawksmoor Restaurant plans to take advantage of the Job Retention Scheme. You can find further case studies here.
Companies House support for businesses hit by COVID-19
Changes announced today will help businesses avoid being struck off the Companies House register as they deal with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Find out more here.
Readout of G7 leaders’ call: 16 April 2020
Dominic Raab represented the UK in a virtual summit of G7 leaders.3/2020: Council Tax information letter – 16 April 2020
This letter provides a brief Q&A note on the technical implementation of the £500 million hardship fund.
Stockport businesses grant funding payments:
UPDATE!
Stockport Council have administered a total of nearly £38 million across 3,226 qualifying businesses and nearly 59% of those identified as eligible as at 11/03/2020.
If your business qualifies for a grant, please complete the application form here: https://www.stockport.gov.uk/support-for-businesses-and-employers
There is also additional guidance for people who don’t know their Business rates account number at https://www.stockport.gov.uk/support-for-businesses-and-employers/small-business-grant-funding-coronavirus
If you have any queries please email business.rates@stockport.gov.uk
Webinars and videos from HMRC are now available, advising businesses on how to deal with the economic impacts of coronavirus, and how to access support.
ACAS runs a series of webinars on employment law and employment relations
Covid-19 Business Grant Funding Documentation
HEALTH:
NHS Providers has welcomed increased support for social care, but urge the Government to make the commitment ‘permanent reality’. Their chief executive Chris Hopson said: ‘The reports of the growing crisis in care homes due to increasing numbers of residents with COVID-19 and high numbers of deaths, serves to remind us of the precarious position of the social care sector.’
On the Government’s new social care plan, the Alzheimer’s Society praised the Government’s commitment to implement Personal Protective Equipment and testing strategies across the social care sector. However, it is are ‘disappointed’ to see there is no commitment to publish daily statistics of coronavirus related deaths in the care system.
Guidance on coronavirus testing for critical workers
Guidance is available on coronavirus testing for critical workers who are self-isolating. As part of the key worker testing programme NHS and social care critical workers who are self-isolating because of coronavirus symptoms are currently being tested. This list will be updated as testing becomes more widely available. If you are not covered in this list, you should continue to follow the government guidance for self-isolating.
Social care guidance
Information for the social care sector on responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable
Information updated for shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable from COVID-19.
Guidance for consumers on coronavirus (COVID-19) and food
Advice for consumers in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the UK.
EDUCATION:
The Department for Education has announced that students will receive exam results in August as agreed at the start of the school year, despite exams being cancelled this summer.
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TRANSPORT / TRAVEL:
17 more charter flights from India to return thousands of stranded Brits
Seventeen more charter flights from India, with a total capacity of around 4000 passengers, will bring back more people in India who have been waiting for flights
Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the drivers’ hours rules: all sectors carriage of goods by road
Extension of the current relaxations of the EU and GB drivers’ hours rules for drivers carrying goods by road apart for break derogation in EU rules, until 31 May 2020.
Travel restrictions and a dramatic reduction in demand for flights has impacted passenger numbers, much like most airports.
MAG’s trio saw figures reduce by 56.5 per cent year-on-year in March, with April expected to be down at a more significant level.
LEISURE:
UK Hospitality says that the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism is launching an urgent inquiry into ‘the best ways to support the recovery of businesses hit by COVID-19′. It will publish its findings by mid-May, with recommendations for how the Government can help businesses in the sector. The APPG’s Chair, Steve Double MP said ‘ensuring these sectors get back on their feet quickly should be one of the Government’s top priorities’.
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CONSTRUCTION:
Removal of unsafe cladding
Joint pledge to continue vital building safety work during pandemic
Essential safety work to replace unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings will continue during the Covid-19 emergency.
Essential safety work to replace unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings will continue during the Covid-19 emergency, following a commitment from local leaders to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP.
The Mayors of Greater Manchester, Sheffield City Region, London, Liverpool City Region and the West Midlands have pledged their commitment to ensuring vital safety work can continue, where necessary social distancing rules are being followed.
Faithful & Gould has been appointed to advise those planning and doing ACM cladding remediation work, including identifying and increasing awareness of safe practice under current Covid-19 restrictions.
Examination of lifting equipment
The Health & Safety Executive has published guidance on the examination of lifting equipment, and their approach to enforcement on this issue, during the current crisis
Industry feedback – Government support
The Construction Industry Coronavirus Task Force has prepared a short survey to anonymously capture feedback on use and experiences of business trying to access support provided by HMG. Please take two minutes to fill out here
Industry feedback – employment
As part of our work to respond to the current crisis, we are keen to understand the latest information on levels of activity and employment in the industry. To support this work, please can you take 2 minutes to fill out the following survey
Update from Construction Enquirer
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EMPLOYMENT:
Eastern European farm workers flown into the UK to pick fruit and vegetables
British farmers recently warned that crops could be left to rot in the field because of a shortage of seasonal workers from Eastern Europe. Travel restrictions due to the coronavirus lockdown have meant most workers have stayed at home.
Several UK growers have launched a recruitment drive, calling for local workers to join the harvest to prevent millions of tonnes of fruit and vegetables going to waste. However, concerns remain that they won’t be able to fulfil the demand on farms.
Stockport Jobs Match
Stockport Council has launched a FREE job matching website to help 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
RETAIL:
Price of high-demand food bought online in UK rises sharply
A basket of the products – including tinned beans, toilet roll and cleaning materials – costs 4.4% more than just before lockdown measures began a month ago, according to the government statistics agency, which carried out the comparison.
Prices rose by 1.8% in the past week alone, driven by soaring pet food prices and a sharp increase in the cost of rice, nappies and handwash.
The British Retail Consortium says that March saw the worst fall in retail sales on record, falling by 4.3%. According to BRC’s Chief Executive Helen Dickinson this ‘masked even more dramatic swings: food and essentials faced an unprecedented surge in demand in the early part of March, only to drop significantly into negative growth after the lockdown and introduction of social distancing in stores.’ She warns that ‘hundreds of thousands of jobs’ are at risk.
How are you doing?
If you are a business owner in Stockport, Totally Stockport and Stockport Council are also keen to find out what your needs are at this difficult time so they can provide the most appropriate advice and support.
To help them understand more, visit www.bidsurvey.com and help them to help you.
Useful links:
Stockport Council – Health & Mental Well-being: https://www.stockport.gov.uk/showcase/coronavirus
Government – Business Support:
https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/
Government – Business Support: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
Government – Financial Support:
Government – Business Support:
Bank of England – Financial Support:
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2020/march/the-covid-corporate-financing-facility
Stockport Council Grant scheme:
https://www.stockport.gov.uk/business-rates-support-measures
Gov.uk: Maintaining Educational Provision:
UK Lockdown – Further businesses to close and exceptions:
Business Growth Hub:
www.businessgrowthhub.com/coronavirus
Health – updates from NHS
https://www.england.nhs.uk/news/
Health – Shielding the most vulnerable
Media and Marketing:
Travel:
https://media.northernrailway.co.uk/news/coronavirus-travel-information
Recruitment: – DWP and Universal Credit
Retail: An update form British Retail Consortium
https://brc.org.uk/news/corporate-affairs/coronavirus-latest-retailer-activity/
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
Stockport park unveils tribute to young community hero 
Last chance to get the winter Covid-19 booster 
Stockport hosts further pop-up Covid-19 vaccination clinics ahead of Christmas