Covid 19 & Vaccinations
An additional 232 cases of Covid 19 have been registered in Sutton Coldfield for the week of 11th - 17th September compared to an updated figure of 321 for the week of 4th - 10th September based on data from Birmingham City Council’s public health division.
In the 7 days up to 17th September, there were 2,545 cases in Birmingham (equivalent to a case rate of 222.9 cases/100k), a decrease compared to 3,279 cases (equivalent to 287.2/100k) in the previous week.
Over the 7 days leading up to 18th September, of 20,919 PCR pillar 2 tests 2,327 (11.1%) were positive in Birmingham, higher than the rates for the West Midlands region and England as a whole.
Birmingham 14th in the region for pillar 2 PCR tests, with 1,832 tests per 100k population. 60,014 LFD pillar 2 tests were also conducted.
The attached image shows the number of vaccines per age group for Sutton Coldfield from data published yesterday.
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.
From Monday 4th October, the international travel traffic light system will be replaced by a single red list of countries and territories and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world. The rules for travel from countries and territories not on the red list will depend on your vaccination status. Fully vaccinated passengers arriving from certain non-red list countries will no longer be required to take a pre-departure test before their arrival into England. Later in October, we will move away from day 2 PCR testing to a new system of cheaper lateral flow device tests for fully vaccinated passengers arriving from non-red countries. If passengers test positive, they will then be required to take a confirmatory PCR test, at no additional cost to the traveller. This will allow us to continue to genome sequence results in order to detect Variants of Concern.
Royal Sutton Coldfield updates
As Patron of the Friends of Holy Trinity church it was a pleasure to officially open their Heritage Open Day on Saturday with our Royal Town Mayor, Cllr Terry Wood. Over 150 people of all ages attended the event and there was a brilliant array of stalls and activities. Thank you to Stella and the whole team at Holy Trinity for the huge amount of effort that took place behind the scenes to make it such a success.
I have been in touch with the Chief Executive of Empire Cinemas, Justin Ribbons, about the future of our local Empire Cinema on Maney Corner. The re-opening is currently on hold while plans are made for its refurbishment. The Chronicle has covered the story in some detail: https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/birmingham/sutton-coldfield/2021/09/20/hammer-blow-as-sutton-coldfield-venue-set-to-remain-closed-until-2022/
I much enjoyed speaking to the Elizabethan Luncheon Club at Moor Hall this week and catching up with a lot of friendly faces. The Elizabethan is one of the Royal Town’s esteemed luncheon clubs founded 60 years ago by Edna Heappey whose grandson is currently serving as a Defence Minister. As life continues to return to something close to normal it is great to see our Royal Town’s clubs and societies spring back to life again!
This week West Midlands Andy Street has provided further details of his transport priorities for our region. As part of a multi-million-pound funding bid from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (a new, consolidated fund for local transport investment in England's eight large metropolitan areas) the West Midlands will see an ambitious rolling, multi-decade strategic investment programme – prioritised and delivered locally. For us here in Sutton Coldfield the focus is on a new transport gateway to kickstart our local masterplan and help revive our town centre. The creation of a new transport gateway will bring together the train station, bus services and cycling routes. The West Midlands Combined Authority has approved bids to the Government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement fund and Bus Service Improvement Plan fund and I am fully backing the proposals and the bid for funds.
The latest quarterly business report from Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce shows that as national restrictions continue to ease, the UK economy remains on track to largely bounce back as the result of pent-up consumer demand, however rising prices and supply chain disruption continue to put pressure on many businesses across our region. https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/latest-news/news/2021/9/21/region-s-business-positive-in-face-of-post-covid-challenges-chamber/
Yesterday Tim Pile announced that he will be stepping down as Chair of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership in November and Anita Bhalla will become Interim Chair. A recruitment process will then get underway for a permanent successor.
I would like to send my thanks to Tim for all that he has done to support the LEP and our local area.
Birmingham City Council has launched a public consultation on the Draft Birmingham Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy; Creating a Bolder, Healthier City. The consultation will be open until the 10th December. https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/economy/creating-a-bolder-healthier-city
Birmingham City Council has recruited a new Executive Director for Education and Skills. Sue Harrison, who is currently serving as Director of Children’s Services in Central Bedfordshire. She will join the city council later this year. https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/news/article/965/new_executive_director_for_education_and_skills
Westminster news and Parliamentary business
This week, I’m supporting #GreatBigGreenWeek which is apparently the largest event for climate and nature that we have ever seen in the UK. It was a pleasure to speak to Sutton Eco Church members this week to discuss climate and environmental priorities, particularly in the run up to COP26 later this year. https://greatbiggreenweek.com/
As part of my work chairing the All Party Parliamentary Group for Rwanda I invited the Rwandan High Commissioner Yamina Karitanyi to Parliament this week. We had a useful discussion which also included an update on my work with the All Party Parliamentary Group on War Crimes which is looking into matters relating to the presence of alleged Rwandan war criminals in the UK and the prosecution of those who participated in the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis in 1994.
The Transport and Home Secretaries have taken legal action against the M25 protesters whose reckless actions are putting motorists at risk. Earlier this week Insulate Britain activists brought large sections of the M25 to a standstill. Ministers applied for an emergency injunction that will allow the police to remand repeat offenders into custody for longer, as well as increasing the prison sentences and fines they could face. A judge granted the injunction and it is now in place.
Ministers have announced an exceptional short term arrangement to provide limited financial support to CF Fertiliser, who produce around 60 per cent of the UK’s carbon dioxide, which will allow them to immediately restart production. This will ensure that food producers, supermarkets and other key industries that rely on a stable supply of carbon dioxide can access vital supplies.
Earlier this week the Prime Minister travelled to Washington DC to meet President Biden at the White House. Discussions involved global issues such as climate change, the response to Covid-19, and international security. Through our UK-US working group set up at the G7 in Cornwall, an agreement has been reached so that transatlantic flights can resume from November for fully vaccinated passengers travelling to the USA, following the move taken by the UK to ease restrictions for visitors from the US earlier this summer.
Opportunities and Events
The Government has provided Birmingham City Council with further Additional Restrictions Grant funding to support businesses affected by the pandemic. Two new grant schemes are now available. Full details including eligibility criteria are available online: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50232/support_for_businesses_during_the_coronavirus_covid-19/2430/additional_restrictions_grants_arg
Holy Trinity Parish Church has announced the line-up for its new season of concerts for 2021/22: https://www.htsc.org.uk/whats-on-and-groups/friends-of-holy-trinity/season-2021-22/
Our local Clinical Improvement Post Covid Rehabilitation group is running an online public engagement event, Living with Long COVID: support in Birmingham and Solihull on Tuesday from 5.30-6.30pm. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/living-with-long-covid-support-in-birmingham-and-solihull-tickets-168214121967
Details of the Birmingham 2022 Festival have been announced- a six-month festival shining a global spotlight on creativity in the West Midlands which will run from March through to September 2022. The festival will feature hundreds of new artistic commissions opening with a free spectacular large scale production in Centenary Square featuring a cast of over 300 performers. Register online to be amongst the first to read the full programme when it is unveiled in January. Those who sign up will also receive information about opportunities to be involved in the festival. https://www.birmingham2022.com/festival/
The 2022 Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme and Birmingham City Council are looking for creative community groups with brilliant ideas who need some support to realise their project. Groups can apply for grant funding of up to £20,000 to bring communities and artists together to collaborate and co-create new artworks through creative projects. To be eligible the organisations applying must be local not-for-profits, with a turnover of less than £1 million per annum. https://www.birmingham2022.com/festival/creativecitygrants/
The Frankfurt Christmas Market will return to Victoria Square and New Street in Birmingham between 4th November to 23rd December: https://www.thebfcm.co.uk/information/
Schools can access a range of resources and opportunities offered by the British Council, particularly in relation to global issues and international affairs: https://www.britishcouncil.org/school-resources
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