Business support and call out for PPE suppliers

Coventry City Council sent this bulletin at 27-03-2020 05:14 PM GMT

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Call out to PPE suppliers
Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Self-employment Income Support Scheme
Latest updates on COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Urgent UK Government request: Supply of COVID-19 Antigen testing kit

Call out to PPE suppliers

These are difficult times for all business and organisations around our city and indeed the country and we would like to thank you and your staff for your continuing hard work to keep our city running as best you can. We would also like to ask you for a little help if possible.

As you will appreciate, as a Council, we work in all areas of the city, in a variety of locations and a variety of ways, from schools to social care settings. We provide a wide array of services for the people of Coventry, including those who are most vulnerable.

To support that work, we are asking all our city’s businesses if they could offer help in sourcing some vital supplies that will help our teams in their duties around the city. We need a good supply of hand sanitiser (any size, smaller size the better) and PPE including IIR/FFP2/FFP3 face masks, nitrile/latex gloves, visors/goggles and aprons.

If you have any of these items that are surplus to your needs that you would be prepared to donate or sell, or you have contacts who could help us, it would be much appreciated. Every piece of equipment will help us to support our residents through the current crisis, and help us to save lives.

If you can help in any way, please contact: covid19EquipmentRequest@coventry.gov.uk

Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a temporary scheme open to all UK employers for at least three months starting from 1 March 2020. We expect the scheme to be up and running by the end of April. It is designed to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month.

Find out more for eligibility and access

Latest updates on COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Coventry City Council business support specialists are in daily contact with central and regional government and other strategic partners to ensure that our businesses are informed and can quickly get access to the support that is being made available.

For the latest information please view: https://www.coventry.gov.uk/coronavirusadvicebusinesses

Urgent UK Government request: Supply of COVID-19 Antigen testing kit

The BIA is helping the UK Government (Office for Life Sciences) to raise awareness of an urgent call out to the life sciences sector to help increase the supply of antigen testing kits for COVID-19.

The requirement is for commercial supply of the following:

* Full testing packages (specification below)

* Any of the separate components within the testing package

* Any alternative tests government should be considering

The specification for testing kit is as follows:

Swabs:

Nasopharangeal (Floxsynthetic fiber tipped (polyester) or flocked swabs) with polystyrene shafts that are scored at 80 mm for a breakpoint
Nasopharyngeal (minitip) are currently preferred
No discoloration on the swab bud (i.e. yellowing or brown discoloration).
Sterilised and individually wrapped
No calcium alginate swabs
No swabs with wooden shafts
Nose and throat swabs (Rayon tipped – FDA review in process)