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GOOD AFTERNOON and welcome to my regular South West Surrey update No. 120. As of today, we had a total of 4,312,908 positive cases of COVID-19 with 126,382 confirmed deaths in the UK. There have been 5,761 confirmed cases in Waverley and sadly 243 confirmed deaths, with an estimated 55 active cases in Waverley. All data is accurate as of 11am this morning.

THE SOCIAL CARE SECTOR WILL HAVE A 10-YEAR PLAN just like the NHS, Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday ([link removed]) . This is significant news which comes after a year of campaigning by me and others and follows an incredibly challenging year for the sector with 29,000 COVID-19 deaths in care homes. Why is a 10-year plan so important? Firstly, because it shows that finally it is being treated the same as the NHS, which has a 10-year plan. And secondly, because it makes it much less likely the sector will be fobbed off with yet another long grassing process in the spending review later this year. Encouragingly the Prime Minister also hinted that social care would likely appear in the upcoming Queen's Speech - but there is a long way still to go, not least on negotiating the financial support that needs to come alongside any big changes. Nonetheless, one step at a time and this announcement is very encouraging.

VEXING VACCINES The Prime Minister has been very clear about his opposition to vaccine nationalism and protectionism - but would he retaliate against an export ban? I asked him yesterday and he refused to take anything off the table. ([link removed]) It would be madness for the EU to go down this route for two reasons: firstly no one would ever manufacture vaccines for export in the EU ever again, and secondly because it would sour already strained UK/EU relations for a very long time. As Foreign Secretary I saw just how important it was to work together on issues like Russia, Syria, and Iran - do we really want to throw this all away?

SURREY SLOW DOWN Although a fantastic 28,653,523 people have now had at least one dose in the UK, some appointments have been cancelled and vaccinators stood down in certain Surrey vaccination centres including Farnham. This is because of a reduction in coronavirus vaccine supply ([link removed]) from 29 March which will last for around four weeks. Those under 50 will have to wait slightly longer for the jab but we are still on track to inoculate all adults by the end of July.

COVID-19 MAY BE LINKED TO HEARING LOSS according to researchers from the University of Manchester and Manchester Biomedical Research Centre. The scientists estimate that 7.6% of people with COVID-19 have hearing loss ([link removed]) , whereas roughly 15% suffer tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Although the mechanism remains unclear, we know that other viruses (like measles and mumps) can cause deafness and the researchers are now conducting a more detailed clinical study.

The key number to remember for anyone with pandemic-related difficulties remains 0300 200 1008 the Surrey Helpline run by Surrey County Council (Mon-Fri 9 am to 5 pm).

WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER

YOUNG PEOPLE AND MENTAL HEALTH was the theme of this week’s Health Select Committee. I asked experts about the impact the pandemic has had on young people ([link removed]) , especially the 30% of young adults with mental health needs who lost their support during the crisis. I questioned Professor Tim Kendall, NHS England's National Clinical Director for Mental Health, about inpatient settings. More specifically, I asked whether the UK is heading towards an Italian-style banning of new inpatient admissions for people with severe mental health needs. You can watch his answer here ([link removed]) which was, I have to say, a much more open-minded approach from the NHS than I was expecting. We also discussed the fact that currently the NHS does not classify suicides as preventable even though we know many could be avoided with better mental health provision. Should we change this? Again a more encouraging reply than I was expecting here
([link removed]) .

A GREENER BRITAIN This week the government launched a £562 million fund to help upgrade 50,000 households with green improvements ([link removed]) (like deep insulation, solar panels, and heat pumps). This is excellent news and will mean warmer homes that are more carbon-friendly and cheaper to heat. Lots more of this in the run up to COP26 - ahead of which this article by Bill Gates ([link removed]) is well worth a read on the vital importance of reducing to zero the 51 billion tonnes of greenhouse gasses we emit annually. In other green news, check out my Herald article ([link removed]) on the Farnham Transformation plans. I’m working with local councils to address issues such as pollution.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY

ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING SITES seem to have been closed across Guildford and Waverley ([link removed]) . I have written to the local resilience forum to resolve this issue urgently (as has Waverley) because asymptomatic testing is essential in the fight against the virus, not least because it enables effective contact tracing. Between a third and a half of all transmission is thought to be asymptomatic, one of the big bad facts we are now painfully aware of.

FOOD VOUCHERS will be available for eligible families with children during the Easter holiday, Surrey County Council has announced. The vouchers will be £30 per week per child and will cover the two-week Easter break (Monday 5th April 2021 – Friday 16th April 2021).

THE NATIONAL TRUST has launched a #BlossomWatch campaign to celebrate the UK’s incredible blossom season. If you know of a good place in the community to plant a blossoming tree (like a local school), please express your interest at [email protected].

LOCAL HEROES Today’s South West Surrey Hero is Chris Bessant, the Rector at United Benefice of Haslemere with Grayswood and his team of 18 pastoral callers, who have been endlessly calling the housebound and sick for the last year. Thank you for your hard-work and commitment throughout the pandemic, very much appreciated by the people of Haslemere I know.

See my list of local groups working to support vulnerable residents here ([link removed]) .

THE ECONOMY AND JOBS

HOUSE PRICES HAVE RISEN by a rather surprising 7.5% in the past year, according to the newly published Office for National Statistics figures. The average house price in England is now £267,000 ([link removed]) . For a more specific breakdown of the data, click here ([link removed]) . Perhaps unsurprisingly the house prices in the gorgeous South West Surrey, England’s new WFH paradise, are rising whilst those in London are barely budging.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON

ZOMBIE GENES Scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago have demonstrated that some genes come to life in the brain after death. The ‘zombie genes’ were specific to inflammatory cells called glial cells, which expanded for many hours after death. Although the findings may sound strange, Dr Jeffrey Loeb (the author of the paper) commented: ‘that glial cells enlarge after death isn't too surprising given that they are inflammatory and their job is to clean things up after brain injuries like oxygen deprivation or stroke’. If you’re zombodie that is fascinated by neuroscience, you can learn more here ([link removed]) . Go on, now the kids are back at school no one will know…

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