Andy Burnham says lifting lockdown ‘won’t work’ without new self-isolation support scheme
The Mayor pointed to the recent spread of COVID-19 in South Manchester as proof that certain people cannot afford to self-isolate without fear of losing income or their job.
Andy Burnham has urged the government to plug the “biggest hole in our national defences”by providing a more comprehensive self-isolation scheme ahead of any lockdown measures being lifted.
The Mayor pointed to the recent spread of COVID-19 in South Manchester as proof that certain residents cannot afford to self-isolate “without fear of losing income or their job.”
A mutated strain of COVID-19 was found in the region last week, leading to surge testing commencing across Moss Side, Hulme, Fallowfield and Whalley Range.
In these parts of the Manchester, residents have been encouraged to take a test even if they have no symptoms.
But the Mayor says part of the reason for the recent spread of COVID-19 has been due to a “lack of a proper self-isolation support scheme.”
Burnham claimed that an insufficient self-isolation model had been the country’s “Achilles Heel” during the pandemic and is now calling for the protection of the jobs of anyone self-isolating to be enshrined in law.
He stated: “Our experience in Moss Side tells us that the country will not be able to contain these new, highly-transmissible strains if people cannot self-isolate instantly without fear of losing income or their job.
“Many workplaces based on low-wage, insecure employment – such as warehouses and food processing sites – have been allowed to remain open throughout the pandemic even though the support has never been in place to prevent the risk of spread.
“It is essential that the Government listens to SAGE and fixes this issue now in advance of any unlocking.”
The lack of a proper system of self-isolation support for people in low-paid, insecure work – as recommended by SAGE in August 2020 – is the single biggest hole in the country’s defences against COVID-19. https://t.co/HEgnHDp1iM
According to data from Greater Manchester’s councils, just 47% of applications to the main self-isolation support scheme are successful.
SAGE has previously stated four components of self-isolation support are needed for maximum compliance, including proactive information, social and clinical support; sufficient supplies of food and other essential goods; employment protection; and financial assistance.
A local GP and practitioner at the University of Manchester has also warned that without a more comprehensive self-isolation system in place, many people will continue to go to work even if they should be quarantining.
Doctor Aneez Esmail, told BBC Radio Manchester on Thursday: “[Moss Side] is a deprived part of Manchester and a lot of people have got low paid jobs.
“A lot of them are working on zero hours contracts and, when you have to self-isolate, it’s easy for your employer to say well just don’t come in then and you lose everything.
“I think that is the biggest problem. Unless we can find a means of supporting them, then people won’t.”
News
‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost
Emily Sergeant
A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.
Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.
The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.
It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.
“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.
“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”
Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.
Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.
A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)
The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.
Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.
“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey.
“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”
The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.
Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)
News
Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.
This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.
Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.
His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.
To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”
These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”
On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.
There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.
The Manc -
15th February 2021 
