Don’t help the Virus Spread

It has been welcome news this week that more people are receiving vaccinations and getting tested in Manchester to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.  

When you hear good news like this it can be easy to become complacent and let your guard down, but none of us can afford to do this with COVID-19, it is such a formidable adversary which thrives on human contact. 

A video message by TV doctor Dr Ranj Singh explains how the new variant, quickly spreads and why it is so important to Stay at Home to protect our loved ones and keep our communities safe.  

By working together to stop the spread, we can protect the NHS and save lives.  

For more information gov.uk/coronavirus   

The government’s Stay Home guidance is available to download and share in British Sign Language (with voiceover), as audio files and in large print format for free from Public Health England’s online resource centre. 

More than 36,000 people registered at GP practices in Manchester have been vaccinated against Covid-19 since the start of the programme in mid-December.  

This figure is people registered with Manchester GP practices that have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

This data does not include all of the vaccinations carried out by hospitals, or in care homes, in Manchester. 

Manchester aims to deliver 70,000 vaccines by mid-February and a goal has been set to deliver 214,000 vaccines by mid-April. This will see some of the city’s most vulnerable residents given their first dose. More information about vaccination.  

Manchester’s Director of Public Health volunteers at vaccination centre

Manchester's Director of Public Health, David Regan, has spent a day volunteering as a marshal at the Covid vaccination site at the Jain Community Centre in Levenshulme.  

Over 80s will receive the vaccine first and if eligible you will be contacted to make an appointment. There is no need to call your GP or contact the centre. We will contact you when it's your turn. 

See how he got on.  

COVID Mass Testing update

Manchester’s programme of targeted mass testing received a major boost this week as two more testing sites became operational, making five in total across the city. The programme has also been extended until the end of March.   

Targeted mass testing in Manchester is being supported by the Army and focusses on people who do not have symptoms of coronavirus (asymptomatic testing), but who are in frontline roles where they may have more unavoidable contact with others such as care homes, health and social care staff and school staff. Further details on how mass testing will be rolled out to the business community are to follow. 

The lateral flow test (asymptomatic test) does not have to be sent away to a laboratory to be analysed and the results are available more quickly – approx 20 to 30 mins.  

You will be notified of how to get tested if you are in one of the groups being offered testing, so please do not get in touch to try and book a test at this time.  Asymptomatic testing supplements existing symptomatic.  

More information on mass testing. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has separated so many families since the first outbreak last year in March. 

However, a father and son have now been brought together because of it thanks to the Covid-19 vaccine. 

On Thursday (21 Jan) Aneet Kapoor, owner and director of Kapoor Pharmacy Services was able to vaccinate his 79-year-old dad, Suneel, who has been shielding for most of the past year. 

Getting his jab at the Whalley Range Cricket and Tennis Club, Mr. Kapoor Snr said that the jab will finally allow him to see his family again, while his son Aneet said that it had been a "long journey" but that it was "great" to finally be able to give his dad the vaccine. 

Mr. Kapoor Snr added: "They're doing a great thing for the community, for everybody. And to give an example when a son can give a vaccination to his dad, that must be a good thing." 

COVID testing helps care home visits take place in Manchester

Maria got to see her mum, Pat, in a care home in Manchester thanks to Covid testing.  Visits can happen in person if the visitor is well, has two negative tests & wears PPE when in the home or with a visiting pod. 

The measures are designed to reunite loved ones in a safe way– while protecting everyone else in the home and staff. After two negative swab tests, Maria was allowed to enter the home and use a special pod to meet with her mum.  

Maria is 'over the moon', but wanted to be careful and take all the precautions needed to keep everyone safe. These small wins mean so much at the moment and we all work to come through this. More information on care home visiting.  

One Manchester potential scam warning

Be aware of a potential scam we've been told about, which could be affecting One Manchester customers. It's been reported that a company are calling tenants on One Manchester’s behalf to conduct a disrepair survey. Please be aware that no such survey is currently taking place. 

1,000 join online Caribbean and African Health Network COVID vaccine event attracts  

The Caribbean and African Health Network had a very successful online discussion last Saturday about COVID-19 vaccination with a panel of black GPs and senior consultants, who have had the COVID vaccine and shared more information about it. You can watch the panel discussion on YouTube.

Support for people Self isolating with COVID-19 

Where people have been told to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace and their income has been affected, they could be eligible for a one-off support payment. Find out more. 

If you are not working or furloughed at the moment due to COVID-19 and need help with debt, bills or borrowing, visit www.manchester.gov.uk/helpinghands for advice and support. 

We would urge anyone who thinks their business may be eligible for support to check. Visit gov.uk for further information.

We'd like to remind the owners of ‘wet’ pubs that claims can still be submitted due to enforced closures during the Christmas period.   

Local Restriction Support Grants are also still open to applications. If you have previously received an LRSG payment you do not need to apply again each time you are required to close due to new or continuing Government restrictions.  

We will use the information from your original application to assess you for a further grant, as long as you continue to meet the criteria, we will automatically pay a grant to the bank account in your original application. 

More info on all support available for businesses can be found on the Council's website.