The fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) takes a historic leap forward today after the UK begins nationwide rollout of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine.
Two hospitals in Greater Manchester – Salford Royal Hospital and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust (Stepping Hill Hospital – are among seven hubs in the North West, and dozens throughout the country, to begin administering the vaccine this week.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has dubbed today’s historic rollout as “V-Day”.
People aged 80 and older, care home workers, and NHS workers who are at higher risk, are among those at the front of the queue to receive the jab after the UK last week became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use outside of clinical trial.
?? The #COVID19 vaccination programme is starting in the UK today ??
Health services in each nation are vaccinating with the #COVID19Vaccine.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) December 8, 2020
Pfizer and BioNTech reported final trial results showing its vaccine was 95% effective in preventing coronavirus (COVID-19) with no major safety concerns, and studies showed the jab to work in all age groups.
The UK government is confirmed to have ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine – needing to be refrigerated at -70C (-94F) – which is enough to vaccinate 20 million people, as two doses are required, and there are 800,000 doses in the first batch, meaning 400,000 people will be vaccinated initially.
Margaret Keenan, 90, became the first person in the world to receive the jab as part of a vaccination programme this morning by nurse May Parsons at the Coventry University Hospital at 6.31am.
She said being the first was “a privilege” and “the best early birthday present I could wish for” as it would mean she could spend time with her family and friends in the New Year “after being on my own for most of the year”.
She thanked Ms Parsons and the NHS staff for looking after her “tremendously”.
“My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it – if I can have it at 90 then you can have it too”.
Maggie, who turns 91 next week, said, 'I feel so privileged. It’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year.' https://t.co/rTflLt8DWbpic.twitter.com/XuaAtU4JUR
— NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) December 8, 2020
Nurse May Parsons said it was a “huge honour” to be the first in the country to deliver the vaccine to a patient.
She added: “The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Speaking on the nationwide rollout, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in the UK marks a momentous step in our fight against COVID-19, but we still have some way to go and everyone needs to keep following the rules to keep the virus under control.”
Professor Stephen Powis – National Medical Director at the NHS – added on Sunday that the start of vaccinations “feels like the beginning of the end”, but warned the campaign will be a “marathon, not a sprint”.
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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
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.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
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.
“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.
The Manc -
8th December 2020 
