I: Christmas Bubbles – Revised 

Covid-19 has a new variant. All viruses mutate so change was predictable and is nothing new.  According to Birmingham Director of Public Health Dr Justin Varney, there is currently no evidence that the effects of the new variant are worse or that the vaccine won’t work against it. However it appears to be highly transmissible.  The growth rate is doubling every 7 days in London/South East where 60-70% of cases are of the new variant.  For this reason the Government introduced a new Tier 4 which applies to London/South East from 20.12.2020.  In Tiers 1-3, changes have been made to the Christmas Bubbles policy. Although 3 households (+ their existing support bubbles) can still form a Christmas Bubble, they can now only meet on Christmas Day (Friday 25th Dec). Up to and after Christmas Day, Birmingham households must comply with the Tier 3 rules.  

The next Tier review is due to take place 30.12.20.

According to Dr Varney, while cases are increasing in Birmingham, the rate of growth is still low enough for the city to stay in Tier 3.   A rapid increase would indicate the new variant growing in Birmingham. 

Restrictions 20.12.2020 – 30.12.2020

DATES

TYPE OF RESTRICTION

KEY POINTS 

20.12.2020 – 

24.12.2020

Tier 3 applies 

  • No social mixing indoors
  • ‘Rule of 6’ applies when meeting other households outdoors
  • Do not travel to Tier 1 or 2 areas

25.12.2020 only

‘Christmas Bubbles’

Legislation

  • 3 households can form a ‘Christmas Bubble’ on Friday 25th December. In England, a pre-existing support bubble counts as one household – potentially 6 housholds (ie 3 Support Bubbles) can form a Christmas Bubble.
  • There is no limit on household size. 
  • Christmas Bubbles can mix indoors including private gardens, and visit places of worship and outdoor public spaces together. 
  • Travel restrictions are lifted so you can visit each other. 
  • You cannot form a Christmas Bubble with a Tier 4 household.
    • People who are self-isolating must NOT form a Christmas Bubble. 
    • If anyone tests positive or displays symptoms up to 48 hours after the Christmas Bubble meets, everyone in the Bubble must self-isolate.

Guidance – What you should do 

– from Prof Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England

  • Keep it small – reduce the number of households mixing
  • Keep it short – reduce the amount of time you spend together. No overnight stays.
  • Keep it local – don’t travel from higher to lower tier areas
  • Protect the most vulnerable 

20.12.2020

How Tier 4 affects Birmingham citizens

You are not permitted to travel to Tier 4 areas except for specified reasons for example

  • For work
  • To provide childcare
  • To provide care to a vulnerable person
  • A student studying at a university in a Tier 4 area may return home to Birmingham for Christmas; likewise, students at Birmingham universities may leave the city to return to their families

30.12.2020 onwards 

To be confirmed 

What happens after Christmas will depend on whether household mixing causes a spike in cases, especially if the NHS is overwhelmed. We may revert to Tier 3 or 2, move up into Tier 4 or there may be another national lockdown

 

II: Birmingham lateral flow test walk-in centre 

A pop-up Covid-19 test centre has opened at the Utilita Arena (formerly National Indoor Arena and Barclaycard Arena).  

No appointment is necessary but photo ID and proof of address or workplace is required as the test centre is for people who live or work in Birmingham.

You will need a smart phone in order to register your test and to receive the result. 

The centre is conducting the lateral flow test which is for asymptomatic people (ie showing no symptoms).

If you test positive, the centre will arrange the PCR test to confirm the result.  This is only available for people with Covid-19 symptoms, and must be booked via the NHS website or 119. 

If you are showing symptoms, you must not go the Utilita Arena test centre; you must stay at home, isolate and book a test. 

Children can be tested but must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.  

More info: http://bit.ly/3peTllC

Survey

CCC-B would like to find out if people in Birmingham’s Chinese community are more likely to take a test if we were able to host a testing facility

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LTFBFXG Simplified Chinese

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZW2K9L9 Traditional Chinese

III: Hong Kong bans UK flights

Hong Kong is among a list of 40+ countries to ban UK flights because of the rapid increase in cases. The ban will last until at least 6 January. http://bit.ly/37EnYed

The growth rate in Birmingham is currently 1    

To check case and death rates in your ward http://ukcovid19.nw.r.appspot.com/

Due to the Christmas holiday, there will be no Update next week – we will send a news flash after the Tier review.

每周疫情快讯: 20201223

I:圣诞防疫泡泡 –修改后的限制措施 

新冠病毒出现一个新变种。病毒总是一直发生变异,因此新冠病毒变种是可以预见的。 伯明翰公共卫生部总监贾斯汀·瓦尼(Justin Varney)博士说,目前没有证据显示新变种病毒更具致命性,或者对疫苗的反应不同。 但是,该变种病毒更容易传播。最近,伦敦和英格兰东南地区的新冠增长率每7天翻一番,其中60-70%的病例是该变种病毒。因此,从2020年12月20日起,政府在伦敦和英格兰东南地区引入了新的第4级防控警戒级别,在第1级至第3级的防控地区,圣诞防疫泡泡的限制措施也进行了修改。3个不同家庭(包括现有的支持泡泡)仍然可以组成1个圣诞防疫泡泡,但仅限在圣诞节当天(12月25日,星期五)。在圣诞节前后,伯明翰的家庭必须遵守第3级防控地区相关的所有规定。下一次的防控警戒级别评估将在2020年12月30日进行。

根据Varney博士的说法,尽管伯明翰的确诊病例在不断增加,但病毒传染率仍然较低,不足以被划定为第3级防控地区。确诊病例的快速增加,表明新变种的新冠病毒正在伯明翰快速传播。

防控措施:2020年12月20日至2020年12月30日

日期

限制类型

关键信息

2020年12月20日至2020年12月24日

实施第3级疫情警戒

  • 不可以在室内社交聚集 
  • 可以在户外与其他家庭见面,需遵循6人制规则
  • 不要去第一级和第二级疫情防控地区旅行

仅2020年12月25日当天

“圣诞防疫泡泡”

法律规定

  • 仅在12月25日,最多可以有3户家庭形成“圣诞防疫泡泡”。 在英格兰,预先已经形成支持泡泡的所有成员可以算为一户家庭,这样,有可能最多有来自6个家庭(即3个支持泡泡)的成员可以形成一个圣诞防疫泡泡。 
  • 每个家庭成员的人数没有限制。
  • 同一圣诞防疫泡泡的成员可以在家里聚集,包括自家花园,可以一起去公共场所、礼拜场所和户外场所。
  • 取消旅行限制,形成“圣诞防疫泡泡”的家庭可以互相访问 
  • 您不可以与来自第4级防控地区的家庭形成圣诞防疫泡泡
      • 正在自我隔离的人士不可以与其他家庭形成“圣诞防疫泡泡”。
      • “圣诞防疫泡泡”成员,在会面之后的48小时内,如果有任何成员新冠测试呈阳性或出现症状时,则所有圣诞防疫泡泡每个成员都必须自我隔离。 

建议民众 

-来自英国首席医学官Chris Whitty教授就圣诞防疫泡泡建议民众

  • 尽可能小规模 – 以减少家庭间聚会的人数
  • 尽可能的减短聚会时间– 以减少不同家庭一起聚会的时间,不可以过夜留宿。
  • 尽可能的留在居住地 – 不要去疫情防控级别较高或较低的地区旅行
  • 尽可能的保护最弱势群体

2020年12月20日

第4级防控级别将如何影响伯明翰的民众

除非以下特定原因,否则您不可以进入第4级防控地区

  • 工作
  • 提供托儿服务
  • 为弱势群体提供照顾
  • 在第4级防控地区上学(家在伯明翰)的大学生可以返回伯明翰过圣诞节。同样,在伯明翰上学的大学生可以离开伯明翰返回居住城市

2020年12月30日起

待确认

圣诞节后的防疫措施将取决于家庭混合是否会导致新冠个案的激增,特别NHS医疗机构是否会不堪重负。届时,伯明翰可能会恢复到疫情防控的第3级或第2级,或升到第4级,或者可能实施新的全国封锁

二:伯明翰横向流量检测中心

新冠病毒检测中心在Utilita体育馆(以前的国家室内/Barclaycard体育馆)对外开放。

检测不需要提前预约,但需要提供有照片的身份证明,地址证明或工作证明,以确认测试者是在伯明翰居住或工作的居民。 

您需要准备一部智能手机,在检测时注册登记,并在检测后接收检测结果。

检测中心旨在针对无症状人士,进行横向流量检测(即无症状),如果检测呈阳性,检测中心将再安排PCR测试以确认结果。 PCR测试仅适用于出现新冠症状的患者,必须通过NHS网站或拨打119预订。 

如果您已经出现新冠症状,则不可以前往Utilita 体育馆检测中心,您必须在家自我隔离并预约检测。

儿童可以到步行检测中心进行检测,但必须由父母/监护人陪同。 

更多信息:http://bit.ly/3peTllC

问卷调查

伯明翰华人社区中心希望了解华人社群是否愿意参加横向流量检测,从而考虑是否设立伯明翰华人社区中心作为一个检测点

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LTFBFXG 简体中文

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZW2K9L9 繁体中文

由于英国新冠确诊病例迅速攀升,香港是40多个禁止英国航班入境的国家之一。 禁令将至少持续到1月6日。http://bit.ly/37EnYed

伯明翰目前的新冠确诊病例增长率为1

点击链接查看确诊病例数和死亡数 http://ukcovid19.nw.r.appspot.com/

由于圣诞节假期,下周将不会发布每周疫情更新 – 我们将在疫情防控级别评估后,发送新闻快讯。