Covid 19 & Vaccinations
An additional 307 cases of Covid 19 have been registered in Sutton Coldfield for the week of 22nd- 28th August compared to an updated figure of 300 for the week of 15th- 21st August based on data from Birmingham City Council’s public health division.
The 7-day case rate between 22nd- 28th August in Birmingham was 284.6 cases/100K population, compared to 311.3/100K for the period 15th- 21st August.
Over the 7 days leading up to 29th August, of 21,347 PCR pillar 2 tests, 3,048 (14.3%) were positive in Birmingham, a higher positivity rate than the West Midlands and England.
Birmingham ranks 14th in the region for pillar 2 PCR tests, with 1,870 tests per 100k population. 43,281 LFD pillar 2 tests were also carried out.
Hospital admissions range between 31 and 51 new cases a day at Birmingham hospital trusts over the 7 days from 21st-27th August. There were 282 hospital admissions across the week, a decrease of 13 admissions compared to the previous 7 days.
The attached image shows the number of vaccines per age group for Sutton Coldfield from data published yesterday. Birmingham City Council has also provided an update of first vaccine uptake by ward and age.
Walk-in appointments are taking place at a mass vaccination centres across the Birmingham City Council area for those aged 16 and over. Please check the latest availability via: www.birminghamandsolihullcovidvaccine.nhs.uk/walk-in over 18s can also continue to book in advance online as normal including bringing forward your second dose if your appointment is more than 8 weeks from your first vaccine: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination
Royal Sutton Coldfield updates
Yesterday I met the editorial team at our excellent local newspaper the Royal Sutton Coldfield Chronicle. You can follow their page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Royal-Sutton-Coldfield-Chronicle-101919178387194/
If you are not yet getting a weekly copy through your door, you can pick one up from any of the following locations:
- Tesco New Oscott, Princess Alice Drive, B73 6RB
- Boldmere Hardware, 25 Boldmere Road, B73 5UY
- Sutton Coldfield Library, Lower Parade, B72 1XX
- Walmley Post Office, 2 Walmley Close, B76 1NQ
- Streetly Community Library, Blackwood Road, B74 3PL
The Chronicle has plans to expand further their home delivery service over the coming weeks.
Today I visited the new Travis Perkins store at Forge Lane in Minworth. Travis Perkins is the UK’s largest supplier of materials to the building and construction industry and earlier this month it opened in Minworth after moving from Erdington to secure a bigger site. Good news for local jobs and a further sign that the Royal Town is attracting a wide range of businesses.
Oxfam is running a Second Hand September campaign this month and it was a pleasure to pop into our local shop on Birmingham Road to meet the volunteers and have a chat about their work. As well as raising vital funds for the charity, Oxfam stores help promote sustainability and a more eco friendly approach to fashion and homeware.
This afternoon I visited Lidl in Mere Green and spoke to Irfan and some of his staff about how their first month has been since opening at the beginning of August. Both Sainsburys and Lidl in Mere Green were full of customers and it is clear that Mere Green is going from strength to strength. This welcome new investment offering choice to my constituents is a vote of confidence in our local community and our local economy.
It was also good to catch up with Chris Brewerton, Division Director at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce for a discussion about the challenges facing local businesses as we recover from the pandemic.
This afternoon I also visited what many of my older constituents would call Penns Hall, now the Ramada. This 500 bed hotel in Walmley is now a quarantine centre for those coming from red zone countries and mainly via Birmingham Airport. It also has 200 Afghans rescued in recent days. I went to speak to one particular family who had asked for my help but it also gives me an opportunity to praise the humane and sensitive way that Jamie and his team are looking after traumatised people so carefully and so decently. There has been, as one would always know to be the case, huge generosity from voluntary organisation in the Royal Town and all the needs that currently exist in terms of clothing and multiple types of support for children and babies is in place. That may change of course, but as of tonight, Royal Town generosity has delivered in full.
Organisers of the Warmer Homes West Midlands programme are reminding residents that they can provide information and guidance to help heat homes affordably. The programme forms part of a wider regional fuel poverty and retrofit programme being led by Energy Capital at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). Residents can call freephone 0808 196 8298 to talk to advisors who also can provide home visits for more complex cases. The service also has outreach workers who can deliver energy training in the community for groups and organisations supporting vulnerable households.
Westminster news and Parliamentary business
Today Ministers have confirmed plans to tackle the issue of pet theft and published a report by the Pet Theft Taskforce, setting out how we will crack down on this abhorrent crime, including making pet theft a specific criminal offence, improving recording and data collection of pet thefts by police forces and introducing new requirements to register more details on microchip databases. This is very welcome news and something I have championed in parliament in recent months. I know that this will be welcome news locally, particularly in relation to dog theft.
On Tuesday the Government announced £8.6 billion of funding for our Affordable Homes Programme, which will help build more good-quality affordable housing and create jobs across the country. The programme includes affordable homes and those available for social rent. This funding is part of the largest single investment in affordable housing in a decade and will help to make the ambition of homeownership a realistic and affordable reality for families and young people.at least £568 million has been allocated to the West Midlands.
Sajid Javid has provided details of a £2.7 million boost for veteran’s mental health services ensuring the support is in place where it is needed most for our brave personnel who served in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The funds have been given to Op COURAGE, the Veteran’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Service and will ensure that we can expand services for those experiencing complex mental and/or physical trauma, or alcohol and substance misuse.
Yesterday Ministers announced a major expansion of the National Tutoring Programme, backed by £1 billion, to provide high quality catch-up tutoring to 6 million students over the next three years as we help them recover lost learning and fulfil their potential. The funding will give schools greater flexibility to offer high quality 15 hour tutoring courses that meet the needs of their pupils.
On a different note, a new Chewing Gum Task Force has launched this week backed by an up to £10 million investment from chewing gum producers, which will help to eradicate gum litter from our high streets. Discarded gum blights our pavements and wastes taxpayers’ money as councils battle to remove gum residue as part of their street cleaning programmes.
Opportunities and Events
The WMCA’s ‘Swap Don’t Drop’ campaign is aimed at helping young people who may be confused, uncertain and at risk of dropping out of education. If you are a young person unhappy about your current choice of course or training, there are plenty of alternative training and study opportunities across the West Midlands. Check out the Youth Employment Platform and explore your options. www.youthemployment.org.uk/westmidlands
The Birmingham International Dance Festival produced by DanceXchange will runs from 21 September until 3 October 2021 https://bidf.co.uk/
The Screwfix Foundation can provide grants of £5,000 to assist community groups with building repair, maintenance, improvement or construction of homes and community buildings. https://www.screwfix.com/help/screwfixfoundation/
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