UK LATEST DATA:
GOV & BBC UK daily data:
Total UK Cases: 6,862,904 positive tests
Latest UK daily figure: 38,154 new cases
New deaths across UK: 178
Total UK deaths: 132,920
Number of people in hospital 7,596 (24 less than on previous day)
England cases per 100,000: 292
R number in England: 1.0 – 1.1
UK Vaccine data:
Total 1st doses given: 48,131,996 – nearly 89% of UK adults
Total 2nd doses: 42,908,022 / 79% of UK adults
Daily 1st doses: 44,088
Daily 2nd doses: 113,385
There have been more than 6.9 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and almost 133,000 people have died, government figures show. However, these figures include only people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus. More than 90m vaccine doses have been received across the UK and nearly 89% of people aged 16 and over have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and nearly 43 million, nearly 79% aged 16 and over have had their second.
Latest Stockport data:
Total cases: 34,631 to 02 September
Cases in latest week: 1,005 (33 less than previous week)
Total deaths: 747 registered to 20 August
Stockport cases per 100,000 342 per 100,000 (23 Aug to 29 Aug)
R number in North-West: 0.9 to 1.1
Stockport vaccine data:
1st dose 85% of adults to 01 September
2nd dose: 79%
The R value and growth rate
The latest reproduction number (R) and growth rate of coronavirus (COVID-19) – the R range for England is 1.0 to 1.1 and the growth rate range for England is 0% to +2% per day as of 27 August 2021.
Slides, datasets and transcripts to accompany coronavirus press conferences
Updated with slides to accompany coronavirus press conferences
UK NEWS UPDATES:
Pet abduction to become a criminal offence as pet ownership leaps during pandemic
Pet abduction is to be made a criminal offence in England after a rise in reported thefts during Covid lockdowns. Theft of a pet is currently treated as a loss of an owner’s property, but ministers want a new law to acknowledge the emotional distress it can cause. The proposal is one of a string of recommendations in a report by the pet theft task force – set up to tackle an increase in incidents during lockdown. It found that around 2,000 dogs were reported stolen last year. The taskforce – comprised of government officials, police, prosecutors, and local authorities – received evidence from animal welfare groups, campaigners, academics and other experts. Its report found that seven in 10 pet thefts recorded by police involved dogs.
Vaccine certificates issued with QR code
People in Scotland are set to join their English neighbours and can now download or receive a paper QR code showing their Covid vaccination status. The change comes after plans to require vaccine passports for nightclubs and large events were announced. Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the codes would allow people without smartphones to show they had been vaccinated if the scheme is approved by the Scottish Parliament. The free documents can be downloaded from the NHS Inform website. They can also be posted to people requesting them by phone. The scannable images, or 2D barcodes, are being added to all vaccination records requested from Friday. Vaccinated children over 12 will only be able to request a copy of their vaccination status by phoning the Covid-19 Status Helpline.
Coin hoarding at home leads to charity plea
UK residents are hoarding an estimated £50m in loose change, with little sign of it all being spent as Covid restrictions ease. Nearly six in 10 people are holding coins at home, according to a survey by banking trade body UK Finance. People tend to hold on to 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p coins. The findings have prompted pleas for this money to be given to charity, as cash donations dropped during the Covid crisis. UK Finance data suggests that people have been holding on to cash three times longer than they used to owing, in part, to the coronavirus lockdowns.
Covid: the doctor busting the Covid vaccine myths
A doctor has taken to social media in a bid to stop misinformation surrounding the Covid vaccines. Dr Bnar Talabani, a scientist and doctor specialising in kidney and transplant medicine, has been talking to young people on social media trying to dispel myths about vaccines. The Cardiff-based doctor, who has been trying to encourage young people to get jabbed over TikTok, said there was a lot of misinformation aimed at young people, and stories, like Maisy’s showed how important it was to get the vaccine. “The key is to focus on the science and the evidence, ignore opinion, nobody’s opinion matters,” Dr Talabani said.
Watch her video here
REGIONAL & LOCAL NEWS:
Lord Goddard and Stockport MP support amendment to 2019 Tenant Fees Act
There have been several pressure groups and politicians calling for change to the 2019 Tenat Fees Act to allow charging additional deposits and insurance to cover pets in private rental accommodation, especially since the pandemic’s restrictions prompted a surge in the purchase of pets and dogs in particular. The political website Politics Home says Conservative MP and long-standing animal rights campaigner Andrew Rosindell has written to the Housing Secretary urging that private tenants be allowed to keep pets in their properties. The letter is supported by Labour’s Andrew Gwynne, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and Scottish Nationalist Lisa Cameron. Other prominent backers in Parliament include Tories Sir David Amess and Sheryll Murray, Labour’s Dame Meg Hillier, as well as Lord Goddard of Stockport, Lord Oates and Lord Trees.
SECTOR SPECIFIC CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS:
AGRICULTURE:
Coming to the UK for seasonal agricultural work on English farms
Advice for seasonal agricultural workers coming to England to pick fruit and vegetables on farms, and their employers.
BUSINESS:
Contactless card limit to rise to £100 in October
The spending limit on each use of a contactless card is to rise from £45 to £100 from 15 October, banks have revealed. The maximum amount was increased from £30 to its current level at the start of the pandemic and plans to raise it further were announced in the Budget. Nearly two-thirds of all debit card transactions are made via the tap-and-go technology. But academics have warned that raising the limit could increase crime. Contactless payments dominated as lockdowns eased
Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Claim for some of your employee’s wages if you have put them on furlough or flexible furlough because of coronavirus (COVID-19) – info updated in section ‘When the government ends the scheme’.
CARE:
Care home diary reveals lockdown isolation
“I now have to get used to being alone all day, no-one to talk to.”
Those are the words of 94-year-old Bob Skinner, who has kept a diary of life at a care home during the pandemic. The diary – which has been turned into a book – tells of the isolation felt by a “forgotten army” as they were forced to shield from the world, with visits banned. Mr Skinner also revealed how he needed hospital treatment after catching Covid – but lived to tell the tale. “I was unlucky – I thought it was coming because I had a cold, I really felt very ill,” he said. “I was in hospital for three weeks, I didn’t think I was coming back, but I made it back.”
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.
COVID-19: infection prevention and control (IPC)
Guidance on infection prevention and control for COVID-19. Sustained community transmission is occurring across the UK.
CONSTRUCTION:
Surge in demand sees JCB “sold out until next year”
JCB said most of its products are now sold out until next year as demand hits historic highs. The machinery giant is recruiting another 100 new welders for its Staffordshire factories in a bid to keep up with orders. So far this year JCB has recruited 1,350 new shop floor employees and handed permanent contracts to 1,000 agency employees. The firm said “demand for JCB machines has reached historic highs with most products now sold out until next year”.
“Strong growth” for Eurocell as revenues beat pre-pandemic figures
A UK plastics manufacturer has announced that its revenues over the past six months have been nearly 25 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Eurocell, which manufactures and provides UPVC products such as windows and doors, reported revenues of £168.1m in the first half of the year, rising by 86 per cent on the first half of 2020 and 23 per cent above 2019. Its profits have also grown, with first half results of £14.2m, 37 per cent higher than 2019’s £10.4m. The company said that the results were driven by its commercial strategies, as well as heightened levels of demand.
HEALTH & WELLBEING:
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants identified in UK
Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in UK.
COVID-19 vaccination: blood clotting information for healthcare professionals
Information for healthcare professionals on blood clotting following COVID-19 vaccination.
COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report published
National coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine surveillance report, including estimated number of hospitalisations and deaths prevented.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK: 3 September 2021
Estimates for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. This survey is being delivered in partnership with University of Oxford, University of Manchester, Public Health England, and Wellcome Trust.
COVID-19 vaccine surveillance reports
Data on the real-world effectiveness and impact of the COVID-19 vaccines.
LOCAL AUTHORITY:
Local government income compensation scheme for lost sales, fees and charges
Guidance for local authorities on how to access the local government income compensation scheme for lost sales, fees and charges as a result of COVID-19.
PROPERTY:
Council launches own lettings agency to help people with low incomes into homes
A council has launched it own publicly funded lettings agency and wants private landlords to sign up. The ‘Your Choice’ lettings agency, run by South Ayrshire council, claims to be different from conventional agencies. “Our focus is to help those on low incomes or people who have experienced homelessness. This fits in with our wider programme to reduce and alleviate homelessness where possible, as part of our Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan. It’s not easy for everyone to find a quality home, your income and background often determine the kind of housing you end up with” says a statement from the agency.
RETAIL:
Boots to open 30 new beauty halls as it invests in local high streets
Boots is set to launch 30 new beauty halls across the country as it continues to expand and enhance its beauty offering. The launch forms part of the health and beauty retailer’s multi-format store strategy that aims to provide customers with greater access to leading beauty brands. The 30 new beauty halls are smaller versions of the reinvented beauty halls that can be found in 60 Boots flagship stores such as Covent Garden in London and The Trafford Centre in Manchester.
Has Covid affected the future of the grocery sector forever?
Over the last year, the retail sector has scurried to implement hygiene measures while boosting its online capabilities thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 has brought unprecedented demand for supermarket chains, particularly creating a transformational effect in how Brits buy and consume food. Grocers have dealt with stockpiling from panic buyers since the beginning of the pandemic – this was witnessed over a three-day period in mid-March last year. As a result of the pandemic, grocers have seen consumers eat more at home due to changing food habits. If any sector has experienced a form of success during the pandemic, it has undoubtedly been the grocery sector. Supermarkets have had to adapt and change more in the last year than at any other time in the last decade. Read the full article at Retail Gazette
‘Baking boom in lockdown saw them fighting over my flour’
A man who has spent much of his life restoring and running a windmill says he had to fight people off when demand for flour surged during lockdown. But now Nigel Moon, 69, says he fears for the future of traditional mills, amid the rise of gluten-free food and trends for converting them into luxury homes.
Staycations help boost August footfall
New data has shown that August marked a turning point for UK retail footfall as the number of visits to retail locations declined by 18.6 per cent on 2019 levels compared to a drop of 24.2 per cent in July. Springboard revealed that this was the first time that footfall levels reduced to less than 20 per cent since the start of the pandemic. In addition to this, both high streets and shopping centres saw the gap decrease to below 25 per cent for the first time with respective falls of 23.5 per cent and 24 per cent, while retail park footfall was only below the level of two years ago at 2.4 per cent.
TRANSPORT:
Food price rise fear over shortage of HGV drivers
The national shortage of lorry drivers could lead to a rise in food prices, wholesalers have warned. Darren Labbett, managing director of Woods Foodservice, told the BBC that his industry was facing a “perfect storm” of adverse effects. “We’ve got the Brexit situation and the after-effects of the pandemic coming together at the same time,” he added. Mr Labbett said the cost of vegetable oil was at a 30-year high because of higher shipping costs and demand. “As we came out of lockdown, the demand for everything went through the roof overnight,” he said. Mr Labbett added that wholesalers were “trying our utmost” to absorb the extra costs instead of passing them on, “but we can’t absorb those price increases forever”.
TRAVEL:
Governemnt report shows extent of amber list rule breaking
Nearly a quarter of UK arrivals from amber list countries broke quarantine rules, government figures show. The Office for National Statistics found 23% either did not quarantine at home for 10 days or failed to complete PCR tests on days two and eight. One in six admitted contacting other people during quarantine, with 62% of these leaving their homes to meet people and 45% having visitors. The Daily Telegraph said four in 10 were unsure about quarantine rules and 15% mistakenly thought they were permitted to go shopping. The ONS survey was based on more than 800 unvaccinated adults arriving in the UK in July from amber destinations.
International bus or coach services and tours: vehicle documents
Check which vehicle documents you need to carry if you drive a bus or coach across international borders – from 28 September 2021, you’ll need a UK sticker instead of a GB sticker on your vehicle to drive abroad.
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