15th September – Coronavirus News Updates

UK STATISTICS

Total UK Cases: 7,282,810 positive tests
Latest UK daily figure: 26,268 new cases
Number in UK hospital: 8,413, 210 more than on previous day
New deaths across UK: 185
Total UK deaths: 134,446
England Cases per 100,000: 292
R number in UK: 0.9 to 1.1

Vaccine data:

Total 1^st doses given: 48,458,700 – 89% of UK aged 16+
Total 2^nd doses: 44,188,746 – 80%
Daily 1^st doses: 19,428
Daily 2nd doses: 60,653

Latest Cheshire East data:

Total Cheshire East cases: 36,940
New cases in past 7 days: 1,356 to 10 Sep
Total deaths: 835
Cases per 100,000: 350.7 per 100,000
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.

UK NEWS UPDATES:

Inflation rate hits biggest increase since records began
The UK inflation rate has hit 3.2 per cent in August, from 2 per cent in July, the biggest increase since records began in 1997, as the economy continued to reopen.
The Office for National Statistics, which published the data, said the surge was “likely to be a temporary change” and said the U.K. government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” program last year may have accentuated the jump. “In August 2020 many prices in restaurants and cafes were discounted because of the government’ (EOHO) scheme, which offered customers half-price food and drink to eat or drink in (up to the value of £10) between Mondays and Wednesdays,” the ONS said in a statement. BBC – Price rises have seen the biggest jump since records began in 1997 as the economy continued to reopen.

Prime Minister sets out Autumn / Winter plan to manage Covid
The Prime Minister has set out the government’s plan to manage Covid throughout autumn and winter sighting the “phenomenal success” of the vaccination programme as the reason that the data showing the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths has weakened significantly. Over autumn and winter, the government will aim to sustain this progress by

Building our defences through pharmaceutical interventions
Identifying and isolating positive cases to limit transmission
Supporting the NHS and social care
Advising people on how to protect themselves and others
Pursuing an international approach

Vaccines will continue to be our first line of defence. All those who were vaccinated during Phase 1 of the vaccine programme (priority groups 1 to 9) will be offered booster jabs from this month – to boost immunity amongst the most vulnerable groups during winter. The Test, Trace and Isolate programme will continue with symptomatic PCR testing continuing throughout the autumn and winter. Lateral flow tests will remain free of charge for now – the government will engage widely on this before any changes are made. The legal obligation to self-isolate for those who have tested positive and their unvaccinated contacts will continue; the financial support payment for those self-isolating on certain benefits will continue in its current format until the end of March. The NHS will have an extra £5.4 billion (recently announced) for the next 6 months alone for the Covid response.

The public will be offered continued guidance on how to protect themselves and each other – including letting fresh air in, wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed place where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, getting tested and self-isolating if required. A tough border policy will remain in place and genomic sequencing capability will be increased to help scientists update our vaccines to defeat new variants. There will be a range of ‘Plan B’ measures kept under review to help control transmission of the virus while minimising economic and social damage including:

Introducing mandatory vaccine-only Covid status certification in certain, riskier settings.
Legally mandating face coverings in certain settings, such as public transport and shops.
Communicating clearly and urgently to the public if the risk level increases.

The government could also consider asking people to work from home if necessary, dependent on the latest data. Ministers would only decide to implement these measures if necessary, and if a range of metrics and indicators mean the NHS is at risk of becoming overwhelmed. Plan B recognises the success of our vaccination programme – meaning smaller interventions which are far less disruptive can have a much bigger impact on reducing the spread. The Prime Minister committed to taking whatever action is necessary to protect the NHS, but stressed his belief that the combined efforts of the public and the vaccination programme mean we can avoid plan B and protect our freedoms in the coming months.

Most vulnerable to be offered COVID-19 booster vaccines from next week
Millions of the UK’s most vulnerable are to be offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine from next week.

Covid jab rollout for 12 to 15 olds to start in schools in England
Invitations for the jab will begin next week with parental consent sought for the schools-based vaccination programme. It follows advice from the UK’s chief medical officers, who say the jab will help reduce disruption to education.

REGIONAL & LOCAL NEWS:

North West economy continues to grow, reports NatWest PMI survey
Economy remains in growth despite decline in rate from June’s record highs. Employment growth also continued to rise at fastest rate in seven years.

Manchester Airport calls for simplified travel system as ONS reveals aviation sector worst hit by pandemic
MAG says the UK’s traffic light system must be reformed urgently to protect the sector through the winter season and restore consumer confidence.

Cheshire East Council invites business to apply for further Covid-19 support grants
Applications are now open for businesses to apply for an Extended Restrictions Grant for those affected adversely by the extension of restrictions to 18th July.

SECTOR SPECIFIC CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS:

BUSINESS:

Check if you can claim back Statutory Sick Pay paid to employees due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
If you’re an employer, find out if you can use the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme to claim back employees’ coronavirus-related Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).

August return to growth for Trainline as European rail travel demand resumes
Rail platform Trainline has announced a return to profitability in line with the easing of COVID restrictions. The firm’s UK business recovered to 95 per cent in Q2 compared with the same period two years ago and returned to growth in August. In addition, the firm has reported an accelerated shift to digital ticketing, with UK eticket penetration increasing to 40 per cent in Q2.

COVID-19: ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus
Guidance on the ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Kickstart Scheme for employers
Employers can apply for funding to create jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit.

Apply online for a Kickstart Scheme grant
If you’re an employer looking to create jobs for young people, you can apply online or funding as part of the Kickstart Scheme.

COMMUNITY:

Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread
Find out how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of coronavirus – updated guidance following Prime Minister’s statement on the autumn and winter plan.

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.

MHRA statement on COVID-19 booster vaccines
Regulatory updates by the MHRA today on the COVID-19 booster vaccine programme for winter 2021 to 2022

CONSTRUCTION:

Job vacancies soar to all-time high
Latest Government figures from the ONS show the battle to find workers to deliver projects is intensifying as firms gear up for expansion. In the rolling three months from June to August, one of the busiest times for construction, unfilled jobs rose to 37,000, just over 15% higher than the spring March to May period and more than double the same period a year ago. This equates to around 2.4 vacancies for every 100 jobs in the industry.

Building to COP26 – built environment unites like never before
The built environment will play a key role at the upcoming UN climate change conference, COP26, which is being held across two weeks in Glasgow from late October. Following the sobering message from the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, which found that climate change is now widespread, rapid and intensifying, a coalition of companies from the built environment are trying to do their bit to reverse this worrying trend. Led by C40, the Global Alliance for Building and Construction (GlobalABC), The Resilience Shift, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) have announced #BuildingToCOP26 — a partnership designed to promote radical collaboration for climate action ahead of the Cities, Regions and Built Environment Day at COP26.

EDUCATION:

COVID-19 vaccination: resources for children and young people
Information for eligible children and young people on COVID-19 vaccination – updated consent form for children, young people or parents and carers.

COVID-19 vaccination: resources for schools
COVID-19 vaccination guidance and resources for schools.

HEALTH & WELLBEING:

Coronavirus England briefing, 13 September 2021
Latest epidemiological data used by the government to brief MPs on the roadmap out of lockdown and to inform decision-making in response to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Health Profile for England: 2021
The fourth annual profile combining data and knowledge with information from other sources to give a broad picture of the health of people in England in 2021.

COVID-19: guidance on protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable
Information for protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable from coronavirus (COVID-19).

PHE monitoring of the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination
Data on the real-world efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines – added link to ‘vaccine effectiveness and duration of protection study’.

COVID-19 vaccination programme
Documents relating to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme – added COVID-19 vaccination: easy-read resources for children and young people.

COVID-19: impact on vaccination programmes
Reports assessing the impact of COVID-19-related physical distancing measures on delivery of childhood vaccination programmes in England.

HOSPITALITY:

Wagamama owner serves up success as profits climb by £30m
The group behind restaurant chain Wagamama has announced that its profits in the first half of the year have increased by nearly £30m. The Restaurant Group (TRG) reported today that it has seen EBITDA profits climb to £11.2m in the first six months of the year, up by £29.5m from losses of £18.3m in 2020. TRG, which also owns Frankie & Benny’s, said that the upswing was largely due to the reopening of restaurants in the UK.

PROPERTY:

Insider: Redrow well placed for future growth?
Housebuilder Redrow has said it is well-positioned for future growth after making a strong recovery in 2021 and posting better than expected results. The business delivered 5,620 legal completions in the year to 27 June 2021, up from 4,032 in 2020. These completions generated revenue of £1.94bn, rising from £1.34bn and only 8 per cent below 2019, and profit before tax of £314m, increasing from £140m. Earnings per share climbed by 124 per cent to 73.7 pence. House price inflation had more than offset build cost increases during the year, Redrow said.

Opinion: Why investors should wake up to the BTR revolution
The events of the past year have had huge repercussions on the housing market. A main change, is that many people are now more flexible about where they live and work – a shift which has seen many look on rental properties more favourably. Traditionally, the rental sector has a poor reputation. More often than not, private rental properties are poorly maintained, low quality and with rents which are unjustifiably expensive, but now, there is a new rental sector which is giving developers the opportunity to change the image of the rental sector for good.

Mortgage lending hit record high before Stamp Duty holiday ended
The value of mortgage lending hit a record high in the final months of the stamp duty holiday. Figures from the Bank of England show £89bn of mortgage lending was approved between April and June 2021, the highest figure since 2007. Most were for house purchases by people who planned to live in the property – at 66.4 per cent.
Of this group, 24.7 per cent were first time buyers, up 6.5 percentage points from a year earlier and 2.8 points higher than the start of the year.

RETAIL:

John Lewis Partnership to recruit 7,000 temporary staff for Christmas
John Lewis and Waitrose is set to recruit 7000 people in temporary roles this Christmas, as it prepares for high customer demand for goods.
At Waitrose the jobs will be across approximately 331 stores, with roles on offer including supermarket assistants and night shift workers while delivery drivers will also be sought. More people will also be needed to work in John Lewis’ 34 shops and on top of that the partnership, chaired by Sharon White, will also be recruiting 550 permanent full-time driver and warehouse roles across its distribution centres.

TRANSPORT:

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.

Haulier coronavirus testing
To monitor the number of tests delivered and the positivity rate of the tests.

TRAVEL:

Government confirms October 1^st travel update
The travel industry looks set to face another fortnight’s wait for long sought-after changes to the UK’s Covid travel rules, although the health secretary has again hinted at less expensive travel testing regime. Addressing the Commons on Tuesday (14 September), Sajid Javid said the government would publish a “new framework for international travel” on 1^st October but gave no further details. It followed speculation he would use a statement in parliament to lift the UK’s current Day 2 PCR test requirements and make changes to the traffic light system.

However, he said only that transport secretary Grant Shapps would address travel rules on 1 October.

Useful Links:

Coronavirus Roadmap out of lockdown – what and when?

From 29 March:

People will be allowed to meet outside, either with one other household or within the “rule of six”, including in private gardens
The stay at home rule will end, but the government will urge people to stay local as much as possible
Outdoor sport facilities will reopen, including golf courses and tennis and basketball courts, and formally organised outdoor sports can restart
Weddings attended by up to six people can take place in any circumstances

Stage two (no earlier than 12 April):

All shops allowed to open, along with close-contact services, including hairdressers and beauty salons (including in people’s homes)
Restaurants and pubs allowed to serve food and alcohol to customers sitting outdoors Gyms and spas can reopen, as can zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centres
Members of the same household can take a holiday in the UK in self-contained accommodation
Weddings attended by up to 15 people can take place

Stage three (no earlier than 17 May):

People can meet in groups of up to 30 outdoors
Six people or two households can meet indoors
Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues can seat customers indoors
Up to 30 people can attend weddings or other life events, like christenings
Remaining outdoor entertainment, such as outdoor theatres and cinemas can open
Indoor entertainment such as museums, theatres, cinemas and children’s play areas can open
Performances and large events can restart, but with limits on audience numbers
Hotels, hostels and B&Bs can reopen
International leisure travel may resume
Adult indoor group sports and exercise classes can restart

Stage four (expected 19th July):

All legal limits on social contact will be removed
No legal limits on the number of people who can attend weddings, funerals and other life events
Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen

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