New ‘Living with Covid’ plans to be discussed by senior councillors
A report found working age people living in the 10% most deprived areas were four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those in the wealthiest 10%.
The plans set out to live with Covid-19 are to be discussed by senior councillors after a new report into the pandemic has been published by Leeds City Council.
At a meeting of Leeds City Council's Executive Board on Wednesday 27 July 2022, plans outlining how Covid-19 will be managed across Leeds in the future will be discussed.
Overall, the discussion is thought to be held around helping the most vulnerable to continue accessing support and protections and 'encouraging safer behaviours' within the general public.
Ahead of the discussions, a report entitled 'Living with Covid- What does 'Living with Covid' mean for Leeds' has been published, which summarises the key points of how Leeds can continue to move forwards with the virus without it having further implications on our livelihood unnecessarily.
Image:Unsplash
The report outlines the importance of vaccinations in Leeds and how the NHS will work to ensure that the 'Leaving No One Behind' programme can continue to support the wider community and encourage further vaccine uptake.
The impact of Covid-19 on existing health inequalities has also been highlighted as an area of discussion.
According to the Living with Covid report, working age people living in the 10% most deprived areas were four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those in the wealthiest 10% and local areas with the highest COVID-19 mortality rates for people under 65 tended to have a lower life expectancy, lower employment rates and more overcrowded housing, deprivation, and child poverty.
During this time, inequalities in Leeds have deepened. The report states that ten years ago, 20% of the Leeds population lived in areas ranking in the 10% most deprived nationally, but now this figure now stands at 26% for the Leeds GP registered, accounting for over a quarter of the population.
The report also acknowledges that there has been a significant impact on mental health throughout the pandemic, stating that "National modelling suggests that there will be an increase in common mental health disorders, grief and trauma. These are directly related to the impact of the pandemic across areas such as financial security, bereavement and community cohesion, along with the ‘threat’ of the virus."
The report also shows that significant progress has been made in encouraging vaccine uptake across Leeds, and whilst looking forward to the "potential for new variants of concerns and surges in cases, the report outlines the work currently underway to prepare for winter, as well as plans to continue community engagement across Leeds to encourage further vaccine uptake."
Speaking about the upcoming Executive Board meeting, Victoria Eaton, Leeds City Council’s director of public health, commented: “As we move forward and begin to live with Covid-19 it is really important that individuals take personal responsibility for infection prevention, such as ensuring good hygiene practice and ventilation and that people stay at home if have a cough or cold like symptoms.
“Vaccines continue to be our best line of defence against the virus, and it is crucial that everyone in Leeds gets vaccinated, it isn’t too late to get your first dose, these vaccines help to strengthen our protection.”
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
The Hoot -
20th July 2022 
