Storm Christoph: Flooded Northwich retirement village residents stranded - BBC News

Sam Naylor

Dozens of pensioners at a retirement village have been stranded by flooding caused by Storm Christoph.

Weaver Court in Northwich, Cheshire, has been surrounded by water and is currently without power and water.

Northwich councillor Sam Naylor said 49 stranded residents and staff at the village were "safe and in good spirits".

Homes near Lymm were also among those flooded by the River Mersey with "no way of stopping the water".

Mr Naylor said power had been off at Weaver Court since "teatime" on Wednesday and there was some concern about elderly residents and those with dementia.

He said firefighters were working out an evacuation plan.

Labour MP for Weaver Vale Mike Amesbury said it was a "drastic situation" with residents who are "anxious, elderly and frail and feel somewhat stranded".

The company which runs Weaver Court, First Port, said it was working with Cheshire West and Chester Council to "safely evacuate residents to a nearby hotel".

The same area was flooded after heavy rainfall in November 2019 but the retirement village was evacuated before it struck.

Cheshire West and Chester Council said plans were in place to evacuate residents from Weaver Court and another retirement village nearby, Marbury Court.

It said residents would be taken from their homes "in a safe and socially-distanced manner" and the council had "secured hotel accommodation".

• River 'centimetres' from breaching flood defences
• 'A crazy day of pandemic, presidents and flooding'
• Evacuations amid Storm Christoph floods and snow

Meanwhile, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was rescuing 21 people by boat from Lea Court nursing home in Warrington.

Supt Julie Westgate, from Cheshire Police, said a number of residents had been evacuated in Warrington, Northwich, Chester, Ellesmere Port and Tattenhall.

Severe flood warnings - meaning there is a risk to life - remain in place for the River Bollin at Heatley, the River Bollin and Agden Brook at Little Bollington and the River Dee at Farndon.

Reuters

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Gabrielle Burns-Smith's home on the outskirts of Lymm has been flooded.

"It's awful and it happened so quick that there was just no way of stopping it," she said.

"We just did our best. Everybody helped, all the businesses nearby.

"So much water has come down and it's tough."

Cheshire Fire

Reuters

Cheshire Fire said it had attended 134 incidents between 07:00 GMT on Wednesday and 07:00 on Thursday and were continuing to be called out.

Northwich Fireplace Centre said it had been a "terrible morning for our business again" after flooding in the town centre.

Police said Town Bridge was closed due to rising waters and asked people to avoid Northwich town centre if possible.

Warrington Borough Council said the flooding in some areas on Wednesday night was "beyond any levels previously recorded".

Reuters

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2021-01-21 13:58:00Z
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Covid: 'Too early' to judge if lockdown will end in spring - PM - BBC News

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It is "too early" to say whether England's Covid restrictions will be able to end in the spring, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Once the four priority groups have been vaccinated, by mid-February, "we'll look then at how we're doing", he said.

Nearly two million people in the UK have had their first dose of vaccine the past week, government figures show.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was an "impossible question" to say how long the lockdown would need to last.

He said the coronavirus vaccines were "really good news" but "should not mask the fact that we have still got a very serious problem".

• How will the UK vaccinate millions of people?
• When will I get a Covid vaccine?
• Religious beliefs causing 'real fear' over vaccine

Speaking during a visit to Didsbury in Manchester, Mr Johnson said it was "absolutely crucial" that people observed the lockdown restrictions.

Referring to figures from an Imperial College London survey, he said they showed the new variant of the virus was "not more deadly but it is much more contagious and the numbers are very great".

The government is aiming to offer a vaccine to all over 70s, the extremely clinical vulnerable and health and care workers by mid-February.

By the end of Tuesday 4.61 million people had received their initial jab, up from 2.64 million the week before, with people being vaccinated at a rate of 200 a minute, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Sixty-five new vaccination centres are opening in England, including a mosque in Birmingham and a cinema in Aylesbury.

It comes after scientists warned of "immense pressure" on the NHS after a study showed infections in the community increased at the start of the latest lockdown in England.

And one in 10 major hospital trusts had no spare adult critical care beds last week, NHS England figures show.

The UK recorded another all-time high of daily coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, with 1,820 people reported to have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test.

'Huge endeavour'

Giving a statement in the Commons, Mr Hancock said the country had an "immense infrastructure in place that, day by day, is protecting the vulnerable and giving hope to us all".

Describing this as a "huge feat", he said the government was making "good progress" towards its vaccination target.

He said: "This virus is a lethal threat to us all and as we respond through this huge endeavour let's all take comfort in the fact we're giving 200 vaccinations every minute, but in the meantime everyone, everyone must follow the rules to protect the NHS and save lives."

Asked about difficulties in getting vaccines to rural areas and whether the Oxford-AstraZeneca could be prioritised for these as it is easier to store, Mr Hancock said the challenge was that supply was "lumpy", with manufacturers working "as fast as possible".

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said new variants of the virus showed vaccination needed to go "further and faster". He asked if there was a contingency plan in place in case vaccines needed to be redesigned to contain mutations.

Mr Hancock said the early indications were that the new variant was dealt with by the vaccine "just as much as the old variant but of course we are vigilant to the new variants that we're seeing overseas".

He also said that 63% of residents in elderly care homes had now received a vaccine.

Former Conservative health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is now chairman of the Common's Health Select Committee, asked about establishing "quarantine hotels" to combat new strains, as well as whether there should be further restrictions on household mixing outside bubbles and mandating FFP2 masks in shops and on public transport.

Mr Hancock said the clinical advice was that the current guidelines on personal protective equipment (PPE) were "right and appropriate" and said "very significant measures" had been brought in for international travel.

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In Northern Ireland more than 160,000 people have received a first vaccine dose, while in Wales, where more than 175,000 people have received a jab, people waiting for theirs have been urged to show "patience" and "perspective".

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted her country's vaccine programme was not lagging behind, during First Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

In England the rollout of the vaccine started with people aged 80 and over. In some regions where the majority of these have been vaccinated, the programmes are now moving on to the over-70s.

Home Secretary Priti Patel, who will lead a Downing Street press conference later, said ministers were working to ensure police and other front-line workers are moved up the priority list, while Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told BBC Breakfast he hoped teachers and support staff could be moved up the list.

Meanwhile, pumps and sandbags were brought in to protect supplies of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the risk of flood water at a warehouse in Wrexham, north-east Wales.

And young people in Wales have been asked to share their experiences of the pandemic in a survey by the nation's Children's Commissioner.

• DOCTOR CHATTERJEE: With another lockdown in place, how can we manage our health and wellbeing without feeling overwhelmed?
• RADIO 1 BREAKFAST BEST BITS: What's Greg James been up to?

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2021-01-21 13:25:00Z
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Storm Christoph: Flooded Northwich retirement village residents stranded - BBC News

Sam Naylor

Dozens of pensioners at a retirement village have been stranded by flooding caused by Storm Christoph.

Weaver Court in Northwich, Cheshire, has been surrounded by water and is currently without power and water.

Northwich councillor Sam Naylor said 49 stranded residents and staff at the village were "safe and in good spirits".

Homes near Lymm were also among those flooded by the River Mersey with "no way of stopping the water".

Mr Naylor said power had been off at Weaver Court since "teatime" on Wednesday and there was some concern about elderly residents and those with dementia.

He said firefighters were working out an evacuation plan.

Labour MP for Weaver Vale Mike Amesbury said it was a "drastic situation" with residents who are "anxious, elderly and frail and feel somewhat stranded".

The company which runs Weaver Court, First Port, said it was working with Cheshire West and Chester Council to "safely evacuate residents to a nearby hotel".

The same area was flooded after heavy rainfall in November 2019 but the retirement village was evacuated before it struck.

Cheshire West and Chester Council said plans were in place to evacuate residents from Weaver Court and another retirement village nearby, Marbury Court.

It said residents would be taken from their homes "in a safe and socially-distanced manner" and the council had "secured hotel accommodation".

• River 'centimetres' from breaching flood defences
• 'A crazy day of pandemic, presidents and flooding'
• Evacuations amid Storm Christoph floods and snow

Meanwhile, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was rescuing 21 people by boat from Lea Court nursing home in Warrington.

Supt Julie Westgate, from Cheshire Police, said a number of residents had been evacuated in Warrington, Northwich, Chester, Ellesmere Port and Tattenhall.

Severe flood warnings - meaning there is a risk to life - remain in place for the River Bollin at Heatley, the River Bollin and Agden Brook at Little Bollington and the River Dee at Farndon.

Reuters

PA Media

Gabrielle Burns-Smith's home on the outskirts of Lymm has been flooded.

"It's awful and it happened so quick that there was just no way of stopping it," she said.

"We just did our best. Everybody helped, all the businesses nearby.

"So much water has come down and it's tough."

Cheshire Fire

Reuters

Cheshire Fire said it had attended 134 incidents between 07:00 GMT on Wednesday and 07:00 on Thursday and were continuing to be called out.

Northwich Fireplace Centre said it had been a "terrible morning for our business again" after flooding in the town centre.

Police said Town Bridge was closed due to rising waters and asked people to avoid Northwich town centre if possible.

Warrington Borough Council said the flooding in some areas on Wednesday night was "beyond any levels previously recorded".

Reuters

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Covid: England's schools to get two weeks' notice for reopening - BBC News

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Schools in England will be given two weeks' notice before reopening, the education secretary has said.

Gavin Williamson told BBC Breakfast he was "not able to exactly say" when pupils will return to class.

Primary and secondary schools remain closed, except to vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers.

The government has said reopening of schools would be prioritised when the current coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased.

Schools have been closed to most pupils so far this term, with primary schools closing after one day back, in response to rising Covid levels.

'Hope before Easter'

Pupils have been told they will be learning at home until at least half term in mid-February.

• When will schools reopen?
• Plans for further education and skills launched
• Daily testing plans paused for schools
• Gavin Williamson: How has he survived?

But Mr Williamson was pressed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether he could guarantee that schools would reopen at all this term, before the Easter holidays.

"I want to see them, as soon as the scientific and health advice is there, open at the earliest possible stage - and I certainly hope that would be before Easter," said the education secretary, who's responsible for schools in England.

He said schools and parents would have "absolutely proper notice" of when children are going to return, which he said would be a "clear two weeks" for teachers and families to get ready.

The biggest teachers' union, the National Education Union, said schools and parents needed certainty and not a "stop-start approach".

Last week Mr Williamson indicated to the Commons Education committee that schools in some parts of the country might stay closed at the end of the lockdown, with a return to the "contingency" arrangements in which schools in areas of high infection would be shut.

On Tuesday, England's deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries also said schools may reopen region by region in a phased return after the February half term.

Labour has accused the education secretary of causing "chaos and confusion" and called on him to resign.

Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said providing two weeks' advance notice of opening was "good news coming from an education secretary who normally gives them about 24 hours' notice".

Sir Keir said the government needed to "give children the ability to learn at home now" and "get on with the blindingly obvious" of getting testing in place in schools.

But asked about his own future, Mr Williamson said: "Our focus is making sure that we get the very best of remote education out to all children across the country, making sure that we return schools at the earliest possible moment."

In terms of his own achievements, the education secretary said: "I'll let other people do the grading."

Replacement exams

Schools have also been closed by other governments in the UK. In Scotland and Northern Ireland they will remain closed until at least the middle of February, while in Wales the next review of restrictions will be on 29 January.

The government has also paused plans to roll out rapid daily coronavirus testing in all but a small number of secondary schools and colleges, with health officials saying the new variant meant the risk of missing infections had risen.

But Mr Williamson emphasised that mass testing in schools would continue, clarifying and that it was the daily tests for those who had been in contact with a positive case which had been stopped.

The education secretary was also challenged on the fairness of setting tests as part of the replacement for cancelled GCSEs and A-levels, when pupils will have missed different amounts of time out of schools.

Mr Williamson said the tests were only "one element" for deciding replacement results, which will be based on teachers' grades.

"That's why we're asking teachers to make a judgement in the round. We're asking teachers to look at the work they've been doing over the whole period of time they've been studying the course," he said.

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2021-01-21 12:09:00Z
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Covid: England's schools to get two weeks' notice for reopening - BBC News

PA Media

Schools in England will be given two weeks' notice before reopening, the education secretary has said.

Gavin Williamson told BBC Breakfast he was "not able to exactly say" when pupils will return to class.

Primary and secondary schools remain closed, except to vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers.

The government has said reopening of schools would be prioritised when the current coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased.

Schools have been closed to most pupils so far this term, with primary schools closing after one day back, in response to rising Covid levels.

'Hope before Easter'

Pupils have been told they will be learning at home until at least half term in mid-February.

• When will schools reopen?
• Plans for further education and skills launched
• Daily testing plans paused for schools
• Gavin Williamson: How has he survived?

But Mr Williamson was pressed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether he could guarantee that schools would reopen at all this term, before the Easter holidays.

"I want to see them, as soon as the scientific and health advice is there, open at the earliest possible stage - and I certainly hope that would be before Easter," said England's education secretary.

He said schools and parents would have "absolutely proper notice" of when children are going to return, which he said would be a "clear two weeks" for teachers and families to get ready.

Last week Mr Williamson indicated to the Commons Education committee that schools in some parts of the country might stay closed at the end of the lockdown, with a return to the "contingency" arrangements in which schools in areas of high infection would be shut.

The Labour party has accused the education secretary of causing "chaos and confusion" and have called on him to resign.

But asked about his own future, Mr Williamson said: "Our focus is making sure that we get the very best of remote education out to all children across the country, making sure that we return schools at the earliest possible moment."

In terms of his own achievements, the education secretary said: "I'll let other people do the grading."

Replacement exams

On Tuesday, England's deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries said schools may reopen region by region after the February half term.

Schools have also been closed by other governments in the UK. In Scotland and Northern Ireland they will remain closed until at least the middle of February, while in Wales the next review of restrictions will be on 29 January.

The government has also paused plans to roll out rapid daily coronavirus testing in all but a small number of secondary schools and colleges, with health officials saying the new variant meant the risk of missing infections had risen.

But Mr Williamson emphasised that mass testing in schools would continue, clarifying and that it was the daily tests for those who had been in contact with a positive case which had been stopped.

The education secretary was also challenged on the fairness of setting tests as part of the replacement for cancelled GCSEs and A-levels, when pupils will have missed different amounts of time out of schools.

Mr Williamson said the tests were only "one element" for deciding replacement results, which will be based on teachers' grades.

"That's why we're asking teachers to make a judgement in the round. We're asking teachers to look at the work they've been doing over the whole period of time they've been studying the course," he said.

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2021-01-21 09:47:00Z
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