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All over 50s in England can now book a coronavirus vaccination

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set the target of vaccinating all UK adults by the end of July.

The Manc The Manc - 17th March 2021

It has been announced today that everyone over the age of 50 in England can now book a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination.

This invitation to book a slot – via the NHS website or 119 – comes after the government revealed last month that all over-50s should be offered a vaccine by May.

The government is now aiming to offer a vaccine to all those in the first nine JCVI priority groups by that date, and this includes older care home residents and staff, everyone over 70, all front line NHS and care staff, those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, the over-65s, all those over 16 with underlying health conditions, the over-60s, over-55s and now the over-50s.

Those aged 40-49 will be the next in line to get a vaccine after all vulnerable groups and the over-50s are covered.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set the target of vaccinating all UK adults by the end of July.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has already recommended that the next phase of vaccinations should continue to prioritise people by age and not their occupation to avoid slowing down the rollout.

The committee said this would provide “the greatest benefit in the shortest time”.

It added that prioritising occupational groups – such as teachers and police – could make the rollout more complex and could potentially slow the programme overall, leaving some vulnerable people at higher risk for longer.

The priority order of vaccinations for phase two will therefore be:

• Everyone aged between 40 and 49
• Everyone aged between 30 and 39
• Everyone aged between 18 and 29

At the time of writing, nearly 25 million people across the UK have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

A total of 1,663,646 people and counting have now had a full course.

As it stands here in Greater Manchester, officials believe that over one million people have now received their first dose, with a significant number across of people across the region having already scheduled an appointment or are set to in the coming weeks.

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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.

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More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson 104 counterfeit Labubus have been seized

More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.

The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.

The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.

The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).

Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.

Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.

What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds

They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.

Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.

“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.

“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”

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Featured image: Oldham Council

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Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.

Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.

Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.

Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.

First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.

The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)

Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.

The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times. 

Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road. 

Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained. 

As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)

These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.

The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.

“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.

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“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”

You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.

Featured Image – Pix4Free

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