UK coronavirus lockdown could last until June March 29, 2020 The UK is set to to be in coronavirus lockdown until June, according to the government’s leading epidemiology adviser. Professor Neil Ferguson said it was “optimistic” that the UK’s lockdown measures would end by May, and that early June was more likely. It comes as Boris Johnson is set to write to every household in [...]
Coronavirus tests: UK reaches 10,000 per day target March 29, 2020 The UK has reached its target of administering 10,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of this week, according to Michael Gove. The chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster said the weekly target was reached yesterday and it’s “NHS and social care frontline workers who are first in line for those new tests”. However, Gove [...]
Boris Johnson will write to every UK household with coronavirus advice March 28, 2020 Boris Johnson is to write to 30m households across the UK to urge them to stay at home and protect the NHS. A letter from the Prime Minister will be posted to homes across all four UK nations from next week and outline the latest coronavirus advice. Johnson will urge the public to follow the [...]
UK coronavirus: Matt Hancock tests positive March 27, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has tested positive for coronavirus, Downing Street has said, just an hour after Prime Minister Boris Johnson also revealed a positive diagnosis. The minister, responsible for coordinating the NHS response to the UK coronavirus outbreak, said he has had only mild symptoms. He will self-isolate until next Thursday, when he will [...]
China’s Xi Jinping offers Donald Trump help with coronavirus March 27, 2020 Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered President Donald Trump China’s support in fighting coronavirus as it spreads rapidly through the US, bringing tensions between the two countries down a notch. Xi’s offer came after the number of coronavirus cases in the US overtook those in China. The US now has more than 84,900 confirmed infections [...]
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus March 27, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, he confirmed today, as he urged Brits to stay home to combat the UK outbreak. Johnson revealed his coronavirus diagnosis on Twitter, where he said he has experienced “mild” symptoms since yesterday. “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for [...]
Rishi Sunak unveils self-employed economic relief package March 27, 2020 The government has upped its response to the coronavirus crisis by vowing to pay low and middle income self-employed workers 80 per cent of their average monthly profits in a package expected to cost the Treasury £9bn. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the much anticipated relief package yesterday, giving self-employed workers the same support announced for furloughed payrolled workers last week. Sunak [...]
Self-employed coronavirus stimulus: Rishi Sunak to pay Britain’s freelancers up to £2,500 a month March 26, 2020 The government will pay 80 per cent of self-employed workers’ wages, up to £2,500 a month, to deal with the economic fallout from coronavirus. The package was announced by chancellor Rishi Sunak today, giving self-employed workers the same support announced for traditional workers last week. It will be available for any self-employed person who has [...]
Coronavirus: London’s Excel centre set to open 500 hospital beds next week March 26, 2020 A temporary hospital at East London’s Excel centre will have 500 beds open next week for coronavirus patients. Health secretary Matt Hancock announced on Tuesday that the Excel centre would be turned into the NHS Nightingale Hospital, to deal with the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, and will have 4,000 beds. An official Downing Street [...]
Coronavirus: Self-employed bailout won’t be perfect, says minister March 26, 2020 A health minister has warned self-employed workers in line for economic relief today that their package might not be “perfect”. Health minister Edward Argar said the government did not “want the perfect to be the enemy of the good” in formulating a package to assist the self-employed during the coronavirus outbreak. Rishi Sunak will unveil [...]