Coronavirus: Follow government advice and pandemic will end sooner, says health secretary March 20, 2020 The health secretary has urged the public to follow government advice as it will allow life to return to normal sooner. Matt Hancock said adhering to social distancing measures would prevent “difficult situations” such as those seen in Italy, where hospitals have become overwhelmed. “The more people follow the public health advice, the quicker we [...]
Key worker list: These UK staff can still send their children to school amid coronavirus crisis March 20, 2020 With schools across the country shutting their gates until further notice to help contain the spread of coronavirus, the government has released a list of so-called key workers deemed essential to the UK’s fight against the pandemic. Schools will be closed to the majority of children from 23 March, but have been asked to continue [...]
Coronavirus: PM urges Brits to be ‘reasonable’ and responsible as he says ‘tide will turn’ in 12 weeks March 19, 2020 Brits have been urged to be reasonable and responsible as the government continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak as it begins to peak. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he believed covid-19 could be under control by the summer – but only if people follow the social distancing measures already set out. If not, he [...]
These are all the Tube stations closed under London coronavirus measures March 19, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) took the unprecedented step of closing down 40 Tube stations today and has also shut down the Waterloo & City line. It is also cutting services on lines such as the DLR, London Overground, trams and TfL Rail, as well as operating a Saturday-style bus service. The drastic measure came in [...]
School closures are the latest sign of just how much our society is going to change March 19, 2020 The past few weeks have been spent trying to understand and interrogate the coronavirus outbreak, initially at a distance but increasingly up close and personal. Friends and neighbours are now self-isolating, some with symptoms that sound almost certain to be Covid-19, others less so — but without sufficient tests, people aren’t willing to take the [...]
Tory MPs attack Treasury’s coronavirus response and call for ‘radical’ measures March 19, 2020 Tory MPs have told the government to start paying British workers’ wages directly and to ramp up benefits payments “today”. Conservatives from across the party said the chancellor’s response to the economic fallout from coronavirus had not gone far enough and would not prevent mass unemployment. Former business secretary Greg Clark said in the House [...]
Coronavirus: ‘Zero prospect’ of ban on travel in and out of London, says Downing Street March 19, 2020 Downing Street has said there is “zero prospect” of a ban on travel in and out of London, as part of efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus. This morning Transport for London confirmed it was shutting 40 Tube stations. It will also stop Night Tube operations and close the Waterloo & City Line from [...]
Sadiq Khan and Boris Johnson to discuss London coronavirus measures March 19, 2020 Sadiq Khan will meet with Boris Johnson this afternoon to discuss London’s next stage of quarantine measures as the government’s response to coronavirus intensifies. Speculation was rife yesterday that the government would soon implement a London lockdown, keeping only essential health services, supermarkets and pharmacies open. City A.M. reported today that this could include a [...]
EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier tests positive for coronavirus March 19, 2020 The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said today he has tested positive for coronavirus. Barnier, a former French foreign affairs minister, has been the European Commission’s chief negotiator with the UK throughout the Brexit process. Today, Barnier tweeted that he had tested positive for novel coronavirus Covid-19. “I would like to inform you [...]
DEBATE: Is there a case for the UK government bailing out airlines in the midst of the coronavirus crisis? March 19, 2020 Is there a case for the UK government bailing out airlines in the midst of the coronavirus crisis? YES, says Rob Burgess, editor of headforpoints.com, the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website. There are many reasons not to bail out companies — it is wrong to reward stupidity, bad management, corruption, or those who failed to [...]