Welcome to the new daily coronavirus feed from StokeonTrentLive – with the latest updates from North Staffordshire and South Cheshire throughout the day (Thursday 22 October)
We will bring you the latest local and national updates on the Covid-19 pandemic as they arise
Every day, our reporters will provide you with the latest numbers from our patch as well as changes to government guidelines on how to slow the spread of the virus
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It’s our job to keep you up to date with what’s happening here in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire
And, with the ever changing news of the coronavirus, it’s important that you know what’s going on and when
From the number of positive cases to the daily news related to Covid in the region, the best way to find out what is happening in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire is through our newsletter
Stoke-on-Trent is being upgraded to a Level 2 High Alert Zone following a peak in Covid cases – and here’s what will change
The main difference between level one and level two is that at level two, people are prohibited from mixing with people outside their home or supporting the bubble in indoor environments
This ban includes visiting other people in their homes or meeting them in public places such as pubs or restaurants
Residents of Stoke-on-Trent will no longer be allowed to mix with other households inside – when the town becomes a Level 2 alert zone
Health Secretary Matt Hancock to announce change in lockdown status for Stoke-on-Trent this afternoon, following a spike in the city’s Covid-19 infection rate
Level two restrictions mean that people are not allowed to socialize indoors with people outside their homes or support the bubble This includes both homes and public places, such as pubs and restaurants
Stoke-on-Trent’s weekly infection rate has risen to 1,857 cases per 100,000 population, with 476 people in the town testing positive for the coronavirus in the seven days leading up to October 17
Cases also continue to rise in Newcastle and Staffordshire Moorlands, which now have weekly infection rates of 1,615 and 1,656 respectively There were 209 cases in Newcastle during the seven-day period and 163 in the Moorlands
Hopes for a breakthrough in coronavirus-related travel have been raised after a successful trial of a health passport program on a flight from UK to US
The CommonPass app was tested by passengers on Wednesday while traveling between Heathrow and New York and has been approved by authorities
Passengers traveling on the United Airlines flight to Newark took a Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure and recorded the results on a CommonPass app on their phones
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Trust are now treating more coronavirus patients than they were at the peak of the first wave, the medical director said
Writing on Twitter, Dr Tristan Cope said: ‘Sadly we are now treating more patients in hospital with Covid-19 @LivHospitals than in April, at the peak of the first wave and the numbers continue to rise increase So important that the folks at #liverpool and @LivCityRegion adhere to social distancing restrictions
“Treating so many Covid patients in addition to the usual acute and emergency care of patients with non-Covid illnesses puts enormous pressure on the staff at @LivHospitals Thank you to all of our staff for their incredible hard work and dedication faced with this very difficult situation «
The University of Oxford says a trial of its coronavirus vaccine will continue in Brazil amid reports of volunteer death
Oxford is at an advanced stage of testing a Covid-19 immunization under development with AstraZeneca, with volunteers in countries such as Brazil, UK and US
The university said it had investigated the case, but found « no safety concerns » around the vaccine
The entire country has moved to the highest level of restrictions under the five-tier government to live with the virus at midnight Wednesday for six weeks
In doing so, it became the first country in Europe to re-impose a national lockdown in order to tackle the record number of cases in recent weeks
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is due to make a statement in the House of Commons on Thursday morning, updating the rules regarding financial support for people under coronavirus restrictions
M Sunak will unveil a new plan to help businesses, especially pubs and restaurants, which have seen their businesses decline due to social restrictions in the ‘high’ Covid-19 category
Currently, businesses in Tier 2 areas such as London and Birmingham do not receive the same government support as Tier 3, including business grants and higher wage subsidies, as they can remain open
They are currently self-isolating after confirming positive tests for Covid-19 at Maple Lodge, Stafford
The 40-bed home is working closely with Public Health England and Staffordshire County Council after the outbreak
Now nine staff members – who have self-isolated – are due to return to work from today
Five students from the same college have recovered at home after testing positive for coronavirus
It is not known if any of the cases at Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College are related
The teens each began to self-isolate as soon as they developed symptoms But it was not revealed if other students who had been in contact with them were told to stay home as well.
Parents sent their children to school with coronavirus after failing to wait for test results
The Stoke-on-Trent Co-op Academy said it was aware of two cases where students returned to class before they were confirmed to have tested positive for Covid-19
From now on, families are invited to ensure that they respect the rules of self-isolation, otherwise they risk a heavy fine for breaking the law
A warning has been issued that Stoke-on-Trent could see tighter restrictions after more than 90 coronavirus patients were treated at the city’s main hospital
However, a skyrocketing infection rate that now stands at 1,857 cases per 100,000 population could see the town drop to level two like neighboring Cheshire
Stoke-on-Trent, River Trent, Staffordshire, Coronavirus
News from around the world – GB – Covid-19 update as Stoke-on-Trent confirms entry at level two
