Deaths and test results
Another death reported today at York hospital. This is the second in a week.
At the end of September there were 18 COVID patients being looked after by the Hospital Trust. The NHS do not published daily bulletins giving bed occupancy and discharge numbers at local authority level. We think that – – given the huge surge in local case numbers – they should now do so.
73 (SEVENTY THREE) additional positive test results have been announced today. This brings the total to 1838.
The cumulative 7 day average number of cases, per 100,000 population, peaked at 203.69 on Tuesday. This is significantly higher than the national average.
The worst affected neighbourhoods are currently Heslington, the City centre, the Groves and Tang Hall. All have large numbers of student occupied properties.
According to media reports, 135 people from the University of York have tested positive for Covid-19.
The number of students self-isolating has hit 1,000.
Volunteers are being recruited to help deliver food to the students stuck in uni accommodation. City of York Council has sent out an email to its team of volunteers asking for their help. It says: “The quantity of Covid-19 positive tests at the University of York has doubled. There are 1,000 students on campus socially isolating and the University of York needs support to ensure they can deliver food to them.”
Stricter rules for businesses
We know of, and are incredibly grateful for, the amount of work businesses are undertaking to ensure their premises are COVID secure for staff and customers.
The new measures from the government brought in this week also brought in increased punishment for businesses who aren’t COVID secure.
Businesses and organisations will face stricter rules to make their premises COVID Secure (from 28 September):
| A wider range of leisure and entertainment venues, services provided in community centres, and close contact services will be subject to the COVID-19 Secure requirements in law and fines of up to £10,000 for repeated breaches.Employers must not knowingly require or encourage someone who is being required to self-isolate to come to work.Businesses must remind people to wear face coverings where mandated. |
New guidance on £9 billion Job Retention Bonus
Further information has been published on how businesses can claim the government’s Job Retention Bonus, with millions set to benefit from the £9 billion package.
| the Job Retention Bonus, worth up to £9 billion is set to support millions of employers who have kept on furloughed workersthe bonus will work alongside newly announced Job Support Scheme and could be worth more than 60% of average wages of workers who have been furloughed – and are kept on until the start of February 2021businesses can claim for the Bonus from 15 February until the end of March. |
Read the full update at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidance-on-9-billion-job-retention-bonus-set-to-benefit-millions-of-businesses
Self-isolation support payments
Eligible employees who are required to self-isolate by the Government’s Test and Track scheme, will be eligible for one-off payments to support them through the 14-day quarantine period.
The new Test and Trace Support Payment scheme from the Government is for people on low incomes who are unable to work from home while they are self-isolating. Where earnings are affected by self-isolating, applicants may be entitled to some financial support; a one-off ‘Test and Trace Support Payment’ of £500. Anyone told to self-isolate by the NHS’s scheme must do so or face fines of up to £10,000, and the £500 payment must be returned.
The scheme will also apply to eligible self-employed people who can prove they are unable to work while self-isolating.
Information on how to apply for a self-isolation support payment from 9 October is at www.york.gov.uk/selfisolate
Applications for free peer-to-peer support programme are now open
Peer Networks is a free national peer-to-peer programme for SME leaders that want to grow and develop their organisation for future success.
The York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub are working in partnership with the University of York to create diverse groups of individuals who can collaboratively work through common business issues. Through interactive action learning, participants will be able to discuss their challenges, gain and reflect on valuable feedback, and implement practical solutions to overcome them.
To be eligible, businesses need to have operated for over a year, have five or more employees and an annual turnover of at least £100,000. The scheme will close to applications on 26 October 2020 and places are limited.
Find out more at: https://www.ynygrowthhub.com/resources/peer-networks-programme
Prime Minister’s Announcement: Skills and Training
The Prime Minister has set out plans to transform the training and skills system to help the country recover from coronavirus. The plans include a Lifetime Skills Guarantee to give adults the chance to take free college courses valued by employers and new entitlement to flexible loans to allow courses to be taken in segments, boosting opportunities to retrain.
This included an expansion of the Department for Education’s online learning platform, The Skills Toolkit. There are now more than 70 courses in digital, numeracy and employability or work-readiness available online and free of charge.
We are encouraging more learners to sign up to The Skills Toolkit, in order to help them build up their skills, progress in work and boost their job prospects.
Sign up and find out more here https://bit.ly/SkillsToolkitNorth
Stay safe and up to date say York Council
As cases of Coronavirus continue to increase, City of York Council are encouraging residents and businesses to play their part to protect those we love and keep the places we enjoy open.
Stay up to date with York’s response to coronavirus through our upcoming Live Q&As, daily social media and latest government guidance updates.
As many volunteers have returned to work or education, we’re looking for 300 more to support York. We get a wide range of requests for volunteers to help with across the city.Sign up to volunteer so we can match you with suitable requests or needs.
Having friends or family to visit?
We’re asking residents to share their top tips for stopping the spread of Coronavirus when visitors come round. Whether it’s buying or making a fire pit so you can socialise outdoors, or putting kitchen roll in the bathroom so no one shares a hand towel – let us know how you keep people safe.
Current data shows us that social and household contacts and lack of social distancing is the main cause of spreading Coronavirus in York. It’s vital we don’t forget these stay-safe steps when visitors come to your home. Let’s protect those we love and remember ‘Hands, Face, Space’ whether you’re out and about or have visitors to your home.
Read the latest guidance on how to meet with others safely on the gov.uk website.
You can download our Let’s be safe posters and share the helpful reminder of ‘Hands, Face, Space’ in your neighbourhood from the council website.
Going out to eat or drink?
Following Government guidance, hospitality businesses are now required to:
- Close at 10pm (not last orders)
- Keep tables a safe distance apart or divided with protective screens
- Refuse entry to groups of more than six
- Require customer and staff to wear face covering, unless sat at their table
- Either ask customers to scan the NHS QR code in their premises or record their contact details for the Track and Trace programme
Businesses in York have innovated and adapted to remain safe and welcoming for residents and visitors, but the threat of Coronavirus has not gone away and so we all need to continue to work together to protect our health, our economy and our city.
Read the latest government guidance introduced from 22 September on the gov.uk website.
Join our upcoming Live Q&As
Next week we have two Live Coronavirus Q&As where residents will be able to hear the latest city wide updates and ask their questions:
