Confirmed cases of coronavirus in Salford have risen sharply again, up by 31 to 445, from the previous day's 414 cases.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, Manchester now has 833 cases, Stockport now has 619, Bolton 545, Trafford 454, Oldham 445, Wigan 416, Tameside 365, Rochdale 318 and Bury 309. Sadly, three more patients have died at Salford Royal Hospital.
Elsewhere, trade union Usdaw has slammed online retailer BooHoo for marketing useless face masks when their staff at its Burnley warehouse are left without adequate persona protection equipment, or PPE...
"We have been inundated with serious concerns from our members in the Burnley warehouse about their health and safety during the coronavirus outbreak" says Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary "They are terrified they may become infected with coronavirus and put their loved ones at risk. Today's news that the company is marketing fashion face masks, that experts say are absolutely no use as PPE, is a real slap in the face for our members.
"Selling fashion clothing is not essential in a period of national emergency, but selling items that look like essential equipment is downright scandalous" he adds "We share the disgust that healthcare staff have expressed in the media. At a time when they are desperate for PPE, along with many public facing staff delivering essential services, Boohoo should hang their heads in shame for this despicable stunt.
"Many other clothes manufacturers have turned away from their usual production and switched to making proper PPE items to help our heroes on the frontline of tackling the coronavirus emergency" he explains "Boohoo is looking to make a quick profit out of a crisis, when they should be putting the national interest first by helping their staff to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.
"We again call on the Government to review their advice to online non-essential retailers" he concludes "Problems like this occur because contradictory Government advice encourages online retailers to carry on regardless, while telling non-essential workers to stay at home. Usdaw's North West Divisional Officer Mike Aylward has written to Boohoo several times calling for them to close the warehouse for the safety of their employees and their families. To do the right thing by furloughing workers, under the Government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and to top up the 80% grant so that staff continue to receive their full wages as normal."
Usdaw is also making clear calls on employers to improve health and safety for people working in warehouse and distribution operations...
• Clear provisions for workers to keep at least 2 metres apart at all times, in line with Government guidance. This means that, for non-essential business, two-person delivery operations must cease with immediate effect.
• Full sick pay for those in vulnerable groups and for individuals who live with people in vulnerable groups.
• Additional sinks, provision of hand sanitiser for individuals and provision of cleaning equipment for all work stations.
• Increased hours for cleaning staff.
• Early shift finishes and guarantee of overtime payments where time spent leaving the site has increased due to queues adhering to social distancing.
• Staggered break times along with extra break rooms with adequate rest facilities and additional smoking areas to ensure social distancing.
• Flexibility and understanding around childcare issues in light of school closures.
Meanwhile, Fortum, a clean-energy company in Finland, has developed a sustainable hands-free door handle, the Fortum Vipu (Virus Prevention Unit). It's a simple add-on to existing door handles, states the company, allowing people to open doors with their arm, therefore minimizing touching the handles.
"To help fight COVID-19, our interactions with the built environment need to be hands-free" explains Fortum Brand Manager Jussi Mälkiä "By innovating our surroundings, we can prevent the spread of the virus and give people a chance to do their daily chores more safely. We are now testing the 3D-printed handles in a real environment for a few weeks and if everything goes as planned, we are ready to expand our production..."
To read more about the handles and to see a video – click here
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