Liverpool City Region COVID-19 Updates

High Streets
Task Force offering support to businesses

IN a mixed week for
high streets and as we all continue to see the impact of
COVID-19, the Task Force, who are an alliance of place making
experts that provides encouragement, tools and skills to help
communities and local Government transform their high streets
have been looking at communications and regeneration strategies.
As the country continues to grapple with the impacts of COVID-19
on its high streets, its been a week of mixed news. Following
the Chancellor’s summer statement; and new support for Towns,
including:- ‘Eat out to help

out‘ and a new bespoke
small business

advice service, but we’ve
also seen retailers closing stores, with John Lewis and Boots
the latest household names to do so. As the Task Force continues
its programme of support, it is gathering data on these types of
impacts and reflecting the lessons in its work; for example on
this week’s webinar exploring how to stay connected with high
street visitors and ‘customers’ as lockdown begins
to ease. They have issued have many new resources

online covering a wide
range of topics, so do take a look at the Task Force’s resources
library.

Warning over COVID-19 cases
among young people

AN increase in
confirmed cases of young people with Coronavirus in south
Liverpool has led public health officials to warn that the
illness can infect anyone, regardless of age. There have been
around 30 cases in the area over the last fortnight, with half
of them in people aged 15 to 24. The places affected include
Belle Vale, Childwall, Woolton, Knotty Ash, Allerton and Hunts
Cross. There have also been a number of cases in Halewood.

Matt Ashton, Liverpool’s Director of Public Health, said:-
“Everyone is at risk of COVID-19, but we know that there is a
perception among younger people that they are less at risk. The
easing of the lockdown means this is a really dangerous moment
for case numbers, and we need people not to let their guard down
and throw away all of the sacrifices we have made since March
2020. We owe it to each other to take precautions and look after
each other, regardless of their age. This is not just about your
own individual risk, but the chances of you passing it on to
your own family and friends, some of which may be in vulnerable
groups and could become seriously ill. So we need everyone to
follow the rules, such as avoiding crowds of people and social
gatherings, following social distancing guidelines, and using
face coverings on public transport and in supermarkets.
Regardless of where you live, if you do develop symptoms, please
make sure you isolate, book a test through the NHS website, and
then if it is positive we can use contact tracing to help find
other that may be at risk. If everyone follows the guidance we
can help control the virus and minimise the impact on ourselves
and our loved ones.”


Mobile testing centres will be in the area over the next week or
so, carrying out swab tests on people with symptoms who have
pre-booked an appointment via the NHS

website:-

► Woolton:- Saturday, 11 July and
Sunday, 12 July 2020.

► Wavertree:- Monday, 13 July to
Wednesday, 15 July 2020.

► Halewood:- Tuesday, 14 July 2020 to
Friday, 17 July 2020, and Friday, 24 July 2020 to Sunday, 26
July 2020.

Booking a test can only be done through the NHS

online services, and full
instructions and the location are sent with the confirmation;
you cannot just turn up without an appointment.

Dr Sarah McNulty, Director of Public Health in Knowsley, added:-
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay at home
and get tested if you develop symptoms, particularly with
lockdown measures easing and pubs and bars now reopening. It is
so important that social distancing is part of your everyday
life – you don’t know who has it and who could be spreading it,
but if you’re within 2 metres of them for more than 15 minutes
and they test positive, you will have to self-isolate for 14
days.”

More information about COVID-19 symptoms and guidance can be
found on the NHS

website.

Covid-19:
Starting Your Business Up Again Safely

AS businesses re-open
after the Covid-19 shutdown, there is a need to ensure that
required steps are taken, to ensure the safety and welfare of
employees, customers and visitors. A COVID re-start and business
continuity plan is essential for all types of business, to get
back up and running and deal with future disruptions to
operations. The use of social media is also important, to inform
clients that you are open for business, and safe to do business
with. On Thursday, 23 July Investsefton is running a live
interactive Zoom webinar entitled:- ‘Covid-19: Starting Your
Business Up Again Safely’ from 10.30am to 12.30pm. To book your
places contact Sharon/Dominique by emailing:-

InvestSefton@Sefton.Gov.UK
or call them on:- 01519343452.

Royal Mail fined
₤1.5m for missing 2018/19 delivery target

ROYAL Mail is required
by Ofcom to deliver at least 93% of 1t class post; across the
UK; within 1 working day of collection. In 2018/19, 91.5% of 1st
class post was delivered on time. But even after considering
evidence put forward by Royal Mail, Ofcom decided to adjust its
performance to take into account the impact of Highways
England’s road investment programme on the company’s delivery
performance. Despite this adjustment, Royal Mail still failed to
achieve its 1st class delivery target by 1.1%. But the Royal
Mail did not provide a satisfactory explanation for this and it
did not take sufficient steps to get back on track during the
year. As a result Ofcom decided to impose a fine of ₤1,500,000
on Royal Mail for failing to meet its 1st class delivery target.

Additional ₤100,000 fine was also issued by Ofcom for
overcharging customers for 2nd class stamps, between 25 March
2019 and 31 March 2019. Ofcom said:- “We set a price cap
for 2nd class stamps to ensure that an affordable postal service
is available to everyone, while keeping the universal service
financially sustainable. For 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 the
cap was set at 60p. Royal Mail increased its price for 2nd class
stamps to 61p on 25 March 2019, thereby overcharging customers
for 7 days until the cap increased on 1 April 2019. As a result
the company estimated that it overcharged people by
approximately ₤60,000 in total as a result, which it is unable
to refund. Given the harm caused and failure in its processes to
stick to the price cap, we have decided to fine Royal Mail
₤100,000. It has since made changes to its compliance processes
that it says will prevent this error from happening again.”


Gaucho Rasmussen, Ofcom’s Director of Investigations and
Enforcement, said:- “Many people depend on postal
services, and our rules are there to ensure they get a good
service, at an affordable price. Royal Mail let its customers
down, and these fines should serve as a reminder that we’ll take
action when companies fall short.”

Royal Mail has co-operated with our investigations and did not
contest our findings. The fines will be passed on to HM
Treasury. Royal Mail’s performance improved in 2019/20, and
after taking into account the impact of Covid-19, the company
met its regulatory obligations.