Let's give Boris' three-tier scheme time to see if it works, says Northamptonshire's Public Health chief

 Let's give Boris' three-tier scheme time to see if it works, says Northamptonshire's Public Health chief Northamptonshire's Public Health chief says it's time to stick not twist over the latest Covid-19 restrictions...for now.

The county is rated "medium risk" — the lowest — in Boris Johnson's three-tier system announced on Monday with national restrictions and recommendations staying the same. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Government reveals which tier Northamptonshire falls into on new Covid alert levels Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Two siblings test positive for Covid-19 at South Northamptonshire school Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Covid-19 case at Irthlingborough school Northamptonshire Telegraph
• How the three-tier alert system will work across England Northamptonshire Telegraph

New state-of-the-art medical centre to open next month in Brackley

New state-of-the-art medical centre to open next month in Brackley Brackley Medical Centre and Community Hospital in Wellington Road will include a GP surgery featuring 16 consulting and treatment rooms and a dedicated urgent care unit. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Reducing health inequalities for people living with frailty: a resource for commissioners, service providers and health, care and support staff

Reducing health inequalities for people living with frailty: a resource for commissioners, service providers and health, care and support staff This report aims to share practical recommendations and examples of how commissioners, service providers and health, care and support staff can overcome barriers to health care for people at greater risk of frailty, including people experiencing deprivation, people who are homeless, people experiencing substance misuse, people with learning disabilities, LGBT people, people with mental health needs, people from Gypsy and Traveller communities, and vulnerable migrants.

It offers insights on how services can work in collaborative, holistic and inclusive ways to reduce health inequalities for people living with frailty, and offer patients the support needed to manage the condition long-term. Friends, Families and Travellers

Avoidable natural deaths in prison custody: putting things right

Avoidable natural deaths in prison custody: putting things right This report, written in collaboration with the Royal College of Nursing, sets out proposals to reduce the number of preventable natural deaths in prisons. It identifies how natural deaths occurring in prison might be prevented, where possible, and end of life care managed with dignity and compassion. Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody

World Menopause Day 2020

World Menopause Day 2020 Access our resources to promote understanding of menopause in the workplace.

World Menopause Day takes place 18 October 2020.

Studies have shown that menopause symptoms can have a significant impact on attendance and performance in the workplace, which makes menopause not just a female issue, but an organisational issue.

With just under one million women working in the NHS, reducing the stigma attached to the menopause is vital so that more people will talk openly about it. NHS Employers

PM Commons statement on coronavirus: 12 October 2020

PM Commons statement on coronavirus: 12 October 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement on coronavirus to the House of Commons. Prime Minister's Office

See also:

• Detailed guide: Local COVID alert levels: what you need to know Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Local COVID Alert Level: Very High Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Local COVID Alert level: High Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Local COVID Alert level: Medium Department of Health and Social Care
• Detailed guide: Full list of local COVID alert levels by area Department of Health and Social Care
• Statutory guidance: Local authority powers to impose restrictions under coronavirus regulations Department of Health and Social Care

Covid: Sage scientists called for short lockdown weeks ago

Covid: Sage scientists called for short lockdown weeks ago The government's scientific advisers called for a short lockdown in England to halt the spread of Covid-19 last month, newly released documents show.

The experts said an immediate "circuit breaker" was the best way to control cases, at a meeting on 21 September.

Labour called the document "alarming" but No 10 says it took "robust" action. BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19: Are we still listening to the science? BBC News
• Coronavirus: What is the Covid tier lockdown system in England? BBC News
• Coronavirus: Ethnic-minority vaccine volunteers needed BBC News
• Coronavirus: WHO head calls herd immunity approach 'immoral' BBC News
• Covid care: 'It is very serious and it is very real' BBC News
• The dogs trained to sniff out Covid-19 BBC News
• US pauses Covid vaccine trial due to ill volunteer BBC News
• Professor Jonathan Van-Tam: North of England never squashed Covid-19 outbreak properly The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus UK: 13,972 new cases and 50 deaths as daily toll rises The Daily Mail
• Covid-19 infection rates at universities are up to SEVEN TIMES higher than in local cities The Daily Mail
• UK Covid-19 cases and deaths: how the UK is coping with a second wave The Daily Telegraph
• Ministers told weeks ago to impose short lockdown or face 'large epidemic' The Guardian
• Boris Johnson’s latest Covid strategy: no hope and no end in sight The Guardian
• Liverpool hospitals cut back on operations to cope with Covid-19 rise The Guardian
• Analysis: Can hospitals cope with a second wave of Covid-19? The Independent
• Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine trial paused after participant’s ‘unexplained illness’ The Independent

Covid reinfection: Man gets Covid twice and second hit 'more severe'

Covid reinfection: Man gets Covid twice and second hit 'more severe' A man in the United States has caught Covid twice, with the second infection becoming far more dangerous than the first, doctors report.

The 25-year-old needed hospital treatment after his lungs could not get enough oxygen into his body.

Reinfections remain rare and he has now recovered. BBC News

See also:

• Genomic evidence for reinfection with SARS-CoV-2: a case study (open access) Lancet Infectious Diseases
• Nevada man, 25, contracted coronavirus twice in 48 days and was SICKER during his second bout The Daily Mail
• Man caught Covid-19 twice and second infection 'was more severe' The Daily Telegraph
• Despite the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, cases of reinfection aren’t what they seem The Independent