Coronavirus update
This update includes information on:
Coronavirus weekly surveillance report
Latest figures from Public Health England’s Surveillance Template on coronavirus provide a promising picture for the city. For the week July 6 to 12, the rate of new infections per 100,000 people in the city fell from 12.12 to 10.16. While we are 19th highest out of 150 local authorities, we are continuing to see a very consistent downward trend compared to previous weeks and positively we are not one of the 60 local authorities who have had an increase on their previous weekly rate.
The latest data on deaths shows just one coronavirus death in the week to July 3, hospital bed occupancy is consistent and we have had just three confirmed cases notified to us by Public Health England in the last four daily updates. To ensure that this downward trend continues and that we avoid local lock-downs, it is extremely important that everyone continues to follow the latest guidelines on social distancing. Please make sure you keep your distance, wash your hands and wear your face coverings. Please also plan ahead if you are going out.
Local outbreaks - new powers for local authorities
On Saturday, the new powers for local authorities to be able to close specific premises, cancel events and close public spaces in response to local outbreaks came into force. Councils in England have been given new powers to close shops, cancel events and shut outdoor public spaces to manage local outbreaks of coronavirus. The Prime Minister said the additional powers would allow local authorities "to act more quickly in response to outbreaks where speed is paramount", in what he called "lightning lockdowns". We will keep you updated on this but would urge people to be responsible and do all they can to ensure we avoid the virus spreading in the city. Wash your hands regularly, plan ahead when you go out, wear face coverings and keep your distance.
Stoke-cation- tick off visiting one of the city’s beautiful parks
Your 2020 holiday plans may have gone out of the window, but you don’t need to travel far from your front door to enjoy a summer of fun!
This summer provides a wonderful opportunity to explore our city and enjoy what’s on your doorstep. Visit www.visitstoke.co.uk/stoke-cation for inspiration and start planning your summer Stoke-cation. From walks with monkeys to picnics in the park, we'd love to see your adventures - share your experiences by tagging #Stokecation.
With the kids now officially off for 6 weeks, why not get them to reconnect with nature? Did you know our city has more than 90 formal parks and open spaces, in towns and communities across Stoke-on-Trent – we’re one of the greenest cities in the country, and there is no better time to visit them than in the summer.
We have an outstanding collection of Victorian parks around the city including Tunstall Park, Burslem Park, Hanley Park, Fenton Park, and Queens Park (Longton).
Hanley Park has recently undergone a huge transformation that has seen the park’s main historic features and elements revamped and brought back to life following £4.5 million of National Lottery funding. Improvements include the restoration of the Pavilion, which is now home to a fantastic café.
We spoke to Hanley Park, Pavilion café manager Sharon who told us why it’s a great place to spend a Stoke-cation. She said: “We have an amazing view from the café, the atmosphere is relaxing and definitely family friendly. The perfect place to enjoy a coffee with a friend or ice-cream with the kids.
“We have put safety measures in place to make sure our customers and staff are protected. We have a one way system in and out of the café, hand sanitation stations and a track and trace form people must fill out when they sit inside.
“I love our city and when I am not working at the Pavilion I will be spending my Stoke-cation cycling along the canal and stopping for coffee to enjoy my picturesque surroundings.”
Bus pass renewals
We have received some questions from the public on what to do if their bus passes have expired. Due to coronavirus, we are not currently renewing bus passes at the moment. People can continue to use their expired bus pass during this current time and will have two weeks to renew them when the Government allows our local centres to open again. We have also previously removed the 9.30am time limit on free travel in response to the pandemic.
Face coverings mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England from Friday, July 24
The government has announced that face coverings will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets from this Friday. Under the new rules, people who do not wear a face covering will face a fine of up to £100, in line with the sanction on public transport and just as with public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt. Please do not get caught out – it is up to individuals to ensure that they have a face covering. Should an individual without an exemption refuse to wear a face covering, a shop can refuse them entry and can call the police. The police have formal enforcement powers and can issue a fine. This is in line with how shops would normally manage their customers and enforcement is of course a last resort. We are encouraging shoppers to wear face masks at our indoor markets in the city.
Virtual jobs fair for the West Midlands and Staffordshire
The National Careers Service is hosting a virtual jobs fair from July 20-24. The aim of the event is to provide a free, easy and safe way for citizens to access live job vacancies across England during a period of economic uncertainty. The event will be visiting nine regions of England across the week in one hour time slots on Facebook and Twitter, with the West Midlands and Staffordshire having been allocated 1pm to 2pm on Thursday.
During this hour, the service will be live on Facebook and Twitter posting job opportunities and providing job seekers support. They are also encouraging employers with vacancies to get involved and showcase their opportunities by posting them on Twitter using #JobsHour and posting directly into the event on Facebook.
Funding for councils
Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick last week confirmed allocations for individual councils from the £500 million of additional support for coronavirus-related spending pressures.The funding is intended to help councils in England continue to deliver crucial frontline services, support those most in need and meet new spending pressures so they can deliver for residents.
The extra £500 million – which brings support for pressures they are facing to £4.3 billion - is being distributed to councils based on population and levels of deprivation, and how the costs of delivery of services varies across the country. The allocations of the £500m can be viewed here.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s cabinet today (Tuesday) discussed the authority’s response to the pandemic, and progress being made to reduce the risk of infection and lead the city’s recovery. Council leader Abi Brown also announced at the meeting that the cabinet has written to Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick to call on the government to give urgent additional funding to local councils.
Dealing with the coronavirus continues to place a significant additional financial burden on the council. Based on the most recent forecasts the total direct income and expenditure pressures faced by the authority will be in the region of £27m.
In response to these predicted pressures, the government has confirmed the authority will receive a grant of around £18m. The government also announced late last week a new Next Steps Accommodation Programme fund to support vulnerable people into housing following the easing of the lockdown, and the council will be bidding for this funding.
The coronavirus is likely to impact on the amount of council tax and business rates the authority is able to collect. The government has announced that these tax losses can be repaid over three years instead of one, and there is expected to be further clarification on irrecoverable council tax and business rates losses in the government’s autumn spending review.
Council leader Abi Brown said: “We have been very open and honest around our response to the coronavirus and the impact it has on our funding. We have listened to and acted on national legislation and taken every appropriate step to halt the spread of infection, support and advise residents and businesses and protect the most vulnerable in our communities.
“We have undertaken significant financial modelling from the start of the pandemic to understand the impact on budgets and to plan for a range of potential financial outcomes.
“It is clear that we need additional funding to meet the financial pressures that we face. We welcome government announcements on funding streams in response to the coronavirus, and we are continuing to lobby hard for the city.
“As a cabinet, we have today (Tuesday) written again to the Secretary of State to outline our significant financial pressures and to explain our role at the forefront of tackling the pandemic in the city. We have urged government to give further recognition of the need for additional financial support to enable us to lead our city’s recovery from the pandemic.”
Eat Out to Help Out registration
Restaurants and other establishments serving food for on-premises consumption can now register for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. Establishments can be registered if they:
- Sell food for immediate consumption on the premises;
- Provides its own dining area or shares a dining area with another establishment for eat-in meals; and
- Was registered as a food business with the council on or before July 7.
For further details and to register a business, people should visit https://bit.ly/EOHORegistration. Registration will close on August 31.
Disposing of business waste (including PPE and face coverings)
New guidance on how to dispose of personal or business waste, including face coverings and personal protective equipment (PPE), during the coronavirus pandemic has been published online here.
Key details include:
- Provide extra bins for your staff and customers to throw away their waste face coverings and PPE used for social distancing, and any other additional waste, such as takeaway packaging and disposable tableware;
- Make sure that staff and customers do not put face coverings and PPE in a recycling bin as they cannot be recycled through conventional recycling facilities;
- Make sure bins are emptied often so they do not overflow and create litter;
- You can put used disposable face coverings and PPE in an ‘offensive waste’ collection (yellow bags with a black stripe), if you have one; and
- Ask your waste contractor if there is anything else you need to do.
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