The Covid map of Sefton and elsewhere in the North West leading up to 7 December 2020

Cases of Covid-19 in Sefton have fallen to the lowest rate since the middle of September.

In the seven days to Seven days to 7 December 2020, there were 191 reported cases, down by 46 on the previous week. 

This represents a fall of 19.4%. 

The rate of infection in Sefton is now 69 per 100,000, well below the national average. 

The results are good news heading towards Wednesday (16 December) when Health Secretary Matt Hancock will review the Tier systems across the country, deciding whether areas move up or down Tiers or remain the same as they are now. 

A recent rise in cases in London is expected to see the capital moved up into the tougher Tier 3 category. 

The Liverpool City Region was placed under tough Tier 3 restrictions in October, which was followed by a national lockdown. The measures have helped see figures which once stood at over 700 per 100,000 fall dramatically, although people are still being encouraged to remain cautious while the Covid vaccine is rolled out. 

The borough is currently under less restrictive Tier 2 measures, 

Two thousand troops based at Pontins holiday camp in Ainsdale in Southport and Altcar Training Camp in Hightown then carried out the UK’s first mass Covid test in Liverpool, with the mass testing scheme now available in Sefton and elsewhere in the Liverpool City Region. 

Sefton Council Chief Executive Dwayne Johnson was among the first to try out the new facilities as he encouraged people to take up the tests. 

He Tweeted: “Just had my test done so quick and easy so please get tested to protect our communities and most vulnerable.

“Please think about getting tested to protect our most vulnerable and ourselves. We can keep on top of the virus and make sure we don’t go into Tier 3. Splash World, Bootle Leisure Centre and Aintree Racecourse are open for those with no symptoms and Bootle Town Hall and Southport Town Hall for those with symptoms.

“Result back within 30 minutes, not infectious, so big thanks to the military and our Council teams.”

Sefton Council Chief Executive Dwayne Johnson gets a Covid-19 test

Sefton Council Chief Executive Dwayne Johnson gets a Covid-19 test

Cases have fallen in every borough in the Liverpool City region over the last week. 

Wirral now has the lowest rate of 57 cases per 100,000 people, St Helens highest at 120.

West Lancashire is below the national average with a rate of 121.6 per 100,000, although there were 139 cases. This saw a rise of 13 (10.3%) on the previous week. 

South Ribble is above the national average, with a rate of 187.7 per 100,000 cases and 208 cases last week, although this has seen a fall of 16 cases (-7.1%).

The extension of the successful SMART Covid-19 testing that has been taking place in Liverpool to Sefton will help prevent people who have the virus but not its symptoms, from unknowingly passing it on to family and friends, some of whom may be vulnerable.

Initially, Sefton Council is encouraging those who work in frontline services, those who work with vulnerable residents and schools staff to come forward for testing.

Ten thousand tests will be available each week in Sefton. Focusing on identifying people who are positive will help prevent onward transmission and protect those people for whom the virus could be dangerous or fatal. It will also help contract tracing and identifying potential infection hotspots.

The tests used for the SMART programme are Lateral Flow Tests which provide a result in about 30 minutes. People who have had a positive coronavirus in the past 90 days should not attend.

Military staff have testing sites at:

  • Splash World in Southport – now open
    Please use the rear car park accessed from the Esplanade, opposite the Lifeboat Station.
    Bootle Leisure Centre – now open
  • Aintree Racecourse- now open.

All three centres will be open from 9am to 6pm, seven days a week. Operation of the sites will transfer from the military to the 75 staff the Council has recruited and trained to run them.  Once the three sites are up and running, the Council will look at setting up mobile or pop-up sites.

Margaret Jones, Sefton Council’s Director of Public Health said: “The roll-out of this testing will help to identify people who have the COVID-19 virus but not the symptoms and drive down the R-number in Sefton and the City Region.

“Initially, we are focusing the available resources on groups where we have identified testing will have the greatest effect in reducing transmission and protecting vulnerable people and the frontline staff who work with them.

 

“Plus, the results will feed into the local contract tracing and will help us identify where hotspots of infections might be emerging.

“We have to remember though, a negative result is not a free pass to ignoring the Tier 2 restrictions we are all following. A negative test result means people are not infectious on that day but that can change, which is why we will be repeating tests with our target groups.

“And, of course it’s vital that anybody who does develop the coronavirus symptoms                    self isolates and calls 119 or visits www.nhs.uk/coronavirus immediately to book a test.”

Anyone who shows a positive result after their SMART Test will then be advised on isolating and making an appointment for a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test that will confirm whether they have the virus

Sefton residents who don’t have coronavirus symptoms can also use Liverpool test sites to get a test. Details of how and where people can get a test are at https://liverpool.gov.uk/communities-and-safety/emergency-planning/coronavirus/how-to-get-tested/symptom-free-testing/

Find out more about testing in Sefton in December.

Do you have any stories for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com

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