15th October – Coronavirus News Updates

UK STATISTICS

Total UK Cases: 8,317,439 positive tests
Latest UK daily figure: 45,066 new cases
Number in UK hospital: 7,024
New deaths across UK: 157
Total UK deaths: 138,237
England Cases per 100,000: 376.1
R number in UK: 0.9 to 1.1

Vaccine data:

Total 1^st doses given: 49,291,665 – 85.7% of UK aged 12+
Total 2^nd doses: 45,269,240 – 78.7%
Daily 1^st doses: 38,726
Daily 2nd doses: 29,481

Latest Cheshire East data:

Total Cheshire East cases: 45,668
New cases in past 7 days: 2,265 to 11 Oct
Total deaths: 857
Cases per 100,000: 585.8
R number in North West: 0.9 to 1.1

Coronavirus cases in the UK: daily updated statistics
The latest number of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests, cases and deaths in the UK. The way deaths are reported is based on a 28-day limit between the date of a positive lab-confirmed test and date of death.

Slides, datasets and transcripts to accompany coronavirus press conferences
Slides, datasets and transcripts from press conferences at 10 Downing Street in response to coronavirus

COVID-19: background information
Information on COVID-19 including epidemiology, virology and clinical features – updated with latest global case numbers.

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

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”.

NatWest pledges £100 billion to finance transition to net-zero
A report by by the bank also found that SMEs could achieve 50% of the UK’s decarbonisation targets, should they receive the proper support and funding.

Victims of alleged domestic abuse are seeing their cases dropped at a rapidly increasing rate, according to data obtained by the BBC.
The time limit to charge common assault – including instances of domestic violence – is six months. Nearly 13,000 cases were dropped in England and Wales over five years after the authorities hit that limit. Campaigners say women are being denied justice and the police and prosecutors should be given more time.

The new figures relate to common assault cases – which includes things like a push, threatening words or being spat at – and which are normally dealt with at magistrates court.

New rules allowing travellers returning to England to take lateral flow tests instead of more expensive PCR tests will come into force on 24 October.
The government says the changes will take effect in time for families returning from half term breaks. Fully vaccinated passengers will be told to upload photos of their Covid-19 tests for verification. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it would make travel easier and simpler. The travel industry had said it was vital to make the changes to the Covid travel tests in time for the half term holiday.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said: “This is great news and we’re pleased to get it over the line in time for the crucial half term period, which will be a massive relief to families desperate to get away this autumn.”

Thank you to GPs for their commitment during the most challenging of times – but patients must be able to see their doctor the way they want
Health Secretary Sajid Javid announces a £250 million investment in general practice in his opinion piece in the Daily Mail.

REGIONAL & LOCAL NEWS:

Business and political leaders set out five ‘gamechangers’ for levelling up the North
In a document published by the NP11 group of northern local enterprise partnerships, the North’s leaders set out their vision to grow an inclusive economy.

Airport boss outlines ‘road to recovery’ for international travel
The last 18 months have been the toughest the aviation industry has ever faced, with traffic levels dropping to as low as 5% of usual volumes, explains Manchester Airport MD Karen Smart.

Need to make redundancies? Do it properly, warns SAS Daniels
Deciding to make someone redundant is never an easy decision but employers could do much more to make the process as amicable as possible and avoid risking a tribunal; employment lawyer, Charlie Wood explains.

Aldi targets Macclesfield in move to open 100 new stores
Macclesfield 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 20,000 sq 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 Stockport 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.

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.”

Useful links:

Publishing information about your claimsIn January HMRC published the list of employers who claimed under the CJRS for periods from December onwards, on GOV.UK.

Repayment period for Bounce Back Loans extended to ten yearsBusinesses 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.

COVID-19 Winter Plan
The government’s plan for managing COVID-19 through the end of 2020 and into the start of 2021.

Government extends JRS furlough scheme at 80% for period of lockdown
The government has said the furlough scheme, due to have closed on 31^st October, would now be extended until December.

Check if your employer can use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Check which employees you can put on furlough to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Calculate how much you can claim using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Steps to take before calculating your claim using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Check if you can claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

New National Restrictions from 5 November
Information on the new national restrictions, including what they mean for working from home and business closures, why they are being introduced and the financial support available.

Job Retention Bonus (JRB)
Employers are able to claim a one-off payment of £1,000 for every eligible employee furloughed and claimed for through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), kept continuously employed until at least 31 January 2021 and who meets the other eligibility criteria. Claims can be made between 15 February and 31 March.

Become a Green Homes Grant Supplier II – Trustmark and PAS 2030The new Green Homes Grant will give over 600,000 homeowners in England up to £10,000 to install insulation, heat pumps, draft proofing and more to help households cut energy bills.

Check if you’re eligible for the coronavirus Local Restrictions Support Grant
The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) supports businesses that have been required to close due to temporary COVID-19 local lockdown restrictions imposed by the government.

Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant extension
The grant is being extended from 1 November 2020. Find out if you’re eligible and how much you can get.

Hospitality venues in England are now legally required to enforce the rule of 6 or face a fine of up to £4,000.
Designated businesses and organisations, including hospitality, close contact services and leisure venues, will also be legally required to log details of customers, visitors and staff for NHS Test and Trace and required to display official NHS QR code posters under law

NHS Test and Trace service in the workplace
Guidance on the NHS Test and Trace service for employers, businesses and workers updated to reflect the new legal requirements for designated venues to collect contact details and display official NHS QR code posters from 24^th September

Claim money back through the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme
Find out how to claim the reimbursement for discounts given to diners with the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme closed on 31 August 2020 – the page updated with removal of registration links.

Kickstart Scheme
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to employers to create job placements for 16 to 24 year olds.

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.

Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can’t do
Frequently asked questions on what you can and can’t do during the coronavirus outbreak – guidance updated in line with new regulations coming into force on 4 July

Business Survey:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dcms-coronavirus-impact-business-survey/dcms-business-survey-headline-measures

Apply for the coronavirus Future Fund
The Future Fund will provide UK Government loans to UK-based companies ranging from £125,000 to £5 million, subject to at least equal match funding from private investors.

Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme set to launch
Employers will be able to make claims through the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme from 26 May.

Government – Guidance on Returning to Work safely
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Government – Setting out of Road Map to recovery – 11^th May 2020
Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s 60 page COVID-19 recovery strategy
The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy. The strategy sets out a cautious roadmap to easing existing measures in a safe and measured way, subject to successfully controlling the virus and being able to monitor and react to its spread.

Coronavirus Act 2020: status
A table setting out the status of each measure in the Coronavirus Act 2020.

Government – Financial Support
New 100% government backed loan scheme for small business

Government – Financial Support
CBILS – A guide to whether it may be the best options for a business

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 – 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.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: 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

Bank of England – Financial Support: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2020/march/the-covid-corporate-financing-facility

Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub