The ‘R’ number (rate of transmission) currently stands at1.2 -1.6
The alert level is 4
Local Restrictions
There were no new local restrictions for Birmingham citizens this week. With exceptions explained previously, you are not allowed to have visitors in your house or garden, and you are not allowed to enter other people’s houses or gardens wherever they live. This is reviewed weekly at a meeting which includes Council Leaders, Directors of Public Health, the West Midlands Regional Mayor and Health Minister Matt Hancock.
Test & Trace Support Payment for people on low incomes
If the NHS has instructed you to self-isolate, you may be able to claim a payment of £500 for the self-isolation period.
Key points are:
- You must be working or self-employed
- Unable to work from home
- You would lose income by not being able to go to work
- You must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit
- You must have a notification from NHS Test & Trace instructing you to self-isolate
- You must have proof of employment or self-employment
- Payment will be made to your bank account
- The lump sum is subject to tax but not National Insurance Contributions
The support payment is available from 28/9/2020. The Council will be putting a claim form on its website on 12/10/2020. Payments can be backdated to 28 September but no earlier.
Remember that you can be fined for failing to self-isolate after receiving an NHS instruction, with fines starting at £1k.
Drop & Collect Volunteers
Birmingham City Council is still seeking volunteers to drop and collect Covid-19 test kits and provide information to households in designated areas around the city. It would be good to have some Cantonese, Hakka and Mandarin-speaking Chinese volunteers to support elderly, isolated and vulnerable Chinese who may be confused or alarmed by people knocking on their doors offering them test kits. PPE and training is provided.
For a link to the volunteer application form and to read more here
Covid-19 Community Champions
The Council is also seeking volunteers for its recently launched Covid Community Champions network
Annual Flu Vaccination
Hundreds of people die from flu complications in the UK every year; in some years, this rises to thousands. A small scale study suggests that having flu and Covid at the same time doubles the risk of dying: Read here
Having the flu vaccination this year is part of the effort to keep individuals healthy and reduce the burden on the NHS.
People in these categories are entitled to a free vaccination:
- adults age 65 and over
- children age 2-3 and in reception classes through to year 5 (delivered as a nasal spray)
- pregnant women
- anyone with an underlying condition such as COPD, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, spleen problems (like sickle cell), liver disease or a chronic neurological disease like multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy
- anyone with a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medication such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
- anyone who receives a carer’s allowance, or you are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill
- frontline health and social care workers
- anyone who has a learning disability and are on their GP learning disability register
The vaccination can be done at your GP surgery or pharmacy. If you are not entitled to the free vaccination, you can book a private treatment at your pharmacy https://bit.ly/3dejoEU
Job Support Scheme (JSS)
The furlough scheme ends on 31st October. It will be replaced with the Job Support Scheme which is designed to help businesses retain ‘viable’ jobs. This refers to jobs in sectors that have been open but operating below capacity because of the pandemic eg hospitality and retail. Jobs in sectors that have stayed shut will not qualify.
- How does the scheme work?
Businesses will receive grants to pay a proportion of hours not worked – helping them to keep part time workers on the books. They must pay for all hours worked as per contract. The table below shows how the scheme works.
- Key points
Employer
- JSS is open to small and medium size businesses. Large companies can apply if they can show their turnover has fallen due to Covid. Only businesses that are open and running are eligible.
- Must have a UK bank account
- Must be part of the UK PAYE scheme
- Grant does not cover Class 1 National Insurance or pension contributions; employer must still pay these
Employee
- Must have been on PAYE payroll before 23/9/2020
- Must work at least ⅓ of their usual hours. Shift patterns can vary but each short-time period must cover at least 7 days
- Cannot be made redundant or given notice of redundancy if the employer receives the JSS grant
Wages are calculated using normal hours and pay before lockdown or furlough.
JSS opens on 1 November and will run for 6 months. Employers will claim from HMRC who will pay monthly in arrears.
Other help available for employers
- £1,000 for every furloughed employee kept on until at least the end of January
- £1,500 for every out-of-work 16-24 year-old given a ”high quality” six-month work placement
- £2,000 for every under-25 apprentice taken on until the end of January, or £1,500 for over-25s
In our next Update we will give an overview of help for the self-employed.
每周疫情快讯2020年10月9日
英国新冠传染率R值为1.2 -1.6
新冠警戒危险系数为4级
本地限制措施
本周伯明翰没有新的限制措施。 除了以前提到的可以豁免的特殊情况以外，您仍然不可以允许访客进入您的家或花园，您也不可以进入其他人的住宅或花园。限制措施将每周将审核一次，审核小组的成员包括当地市政府的官员、公共卫生部门的主管，西米德兰兹地区市长和英国卫生部长Matt Hancock组成。
测试和追踪隔离补助金以支持低收入人群
被NHS测试与追踪中心通知必须进行自我隔离的低收入人群，可申请500英镑的隔离补助金
主要申请条件：
- 您必须是工作或自雇人士
- 您无法在家工作
- 您因无法上班而失去收入
- 您必须已获得相关的福利
- 您必须收到NHS 测试和追踪部门的通知，要求您进行自我隔离
- 您必须具有就业证明或自雇证明
- 补助金将会支付到您的银行帐户
- 一次性补助金属于缴税收入，但不需要缴纳相应的NI国民保险金
隔离补助金于2020年9月28日起开始实行，从10月12日起，可以在政府官方网站上申请，申请可以追溯付款到2020年9月28日，但不能更早。
请注意，在收到NHS要求您自我隔离的指示后，如果您未自我隔离，将被罚款，起价为1000英镑。
新冠检测包发放和收取志愿者
伯明翰市政府正在招募志愿者， 向城市周围指定地区的家庭发放和收取新冠检测包，以及提供疫情信息。希望能讲简单广东话，客家话或普通话的中国志愿者来参与此项工作，帮助老年人，社交孤立和弱势的华人群体。当讲英语的陌生人敲门，并提供测试包时，这些人群可能会因语言和文化的障碍而产生困惑或警惕。我们将为志愿者提供个人防护装备和相关培训。
志愿者申请表或阅读更多信息，请点击链接 https://bit.ly/3nrY2Zj
年度流感疫苗接种
在英国，每年有数以百计的人死于流感及并发症。 在某些年份，这一数字上升到数以千计。一项小型研究表明，同时感染流感和新冠肺炎会使死亡的风险加倍：https://bit.ly/34A0C6O
今年进行的流感疫苗接种不仅保护个人健康，而且可以减轻NHS医疗负担。
以下人群可以享受免费流感疫苗接种：
- 65岁以上的成年人
- 2-3岁的儿童，学前班至5年级的小学生（通过鼻喷雾剂的方式接种疫苗）
- 孕妇
- 患有各类基础疾病的人士，例如慢性阻塞性肺病，支气管炎，哮喘，肺气肿，糖尿病，心脏病，肾脏疾病，脾脏相关的疾病（如镰状细胞），肝病或慢性神经系统疾病（如多发性硬化症或脑瘫）
- 各类免疫系统虚弱的人士，比如感染艾滋病毒和艾滋病，或由于服用类固醇类或化疗药物等导致免疫系统减弱
- 有照料者津贴的人士，或者您是老年人或残疾人士的主要照料者，如果您生病，被照料者的健康可能会受到影响
- 工作在一线的医疗和社会护理工作者
- 有学习障碍，并且在其家庭医生学习障碍登记册上有注册的人士
您可以在家庭医生诊所或药房进行疫苗接种。如果您不属于免费疫苗接种的人群，则可以在药房预订收费流感疫苗接种服务 https://bit.ly/3dejoEU
更多信息请浏览 https://bit.ly/3jIq8NG
儿童流感疫苗接种 https://bit.ly/2SLGqsZ
就业支持计划
政府在新冠疫情暴发初期实施的“职位保留计划”（the Furlough Scheme）将于10月31日结束。政府将推出新的工资补贴政策 – “就业支持计划”。该计划主要帮助那些因受疫情的影响，虽然开放但营业额下降的行业，例如服务业和零售业。处于关闭或停运状态的行业和岗位不符合申请资格。
该计划如何运作？
企业将获得政府补助，以支付一定比例未能工作的时间， – 以帮助企业保留兼职员工的岗位。雇主支付必须按照合同支付员工已经工作的时间。 下表显示该方案的运作方式。
- 要点：
雇主
- 就业支持计划向中小企业开放，如果大型公司可以证明其营业额由于新冠疫情影响而下降，则可以申请。只有开放且正在运营的企业或商户才有资格。
- 必须拥有英国银行帐户
- 必须是已注册英国工资税务代扣代缴(PAYE)的企业或商户
- 补助金不包括第一类国民保险金(NI)或养老金， 雇主仍须自行支付
雇员
- 雇员必须在2020年9月23日之前已在工资税务代扣代缴（PAYE）系统中注册
- 员工工作时长需最少达到原本时长的1/3，轮班模式可以灵活不同，但短工作时段的总和必须至少涵盖7天时间
- 如果雇主获得了就业支持计划补助金，则不能强行裁员或给予员工裁员通知
工资以正常小时数计算，按照疫情封城或职位保留计划实施之前的标准
就业支持计划于11月1日开始实施，将运行6个月。 雇主向税务局HMRC申请，补助金将在月底发放给雇主。
雇主可获得的其他帮助
- 申请过“职位保留计划”岗位，雇主若在2021年1月底仍保留此岗位， 政府将向雇主支付每个岗位1,000英镑的奖励
- 雇主若为16至24岁失业的年轻人，提供“高质量”6个月的工作安置，则可获政府每个岗位1,500英镑的补助
- 雇主若保留25岁以下的学徒岗位至2021年1月底，政府将向雇主支付每个岗位2,000英镑的补助，雇主若保留25岁以上的学徒岗位至2021年1月底，政府将向雇主支付每个岗位1,500英镑的补助
在我们的下一期的疫情快讯中，我们将列出有关对自雇人士的支持计划
