Quicker testing would have been ‘beneficial’ says chief scientific adviser May 5, 2020 The UK’s chief scientific adviser has told MPs it would have been “beneficial” to have ramped up testing for coronavirus quicker. Sir Patrick Vallance told the Commons Health Select Committee that testing alone would not control the virus. The UK government moved away from contact tracing and testing in the community before lockdown started. Instead, [...]
Rishi Sunak considers cutting furlough pay to 60 per cent of wages May 5, 2020 As part of a review of the job retention scheme, the government is reportedly considering cutting the 80 per cent wage subsidy to 60 per cent for furloughed staff. The job retention scheme sees the government pay 80 per cent of wages, up to £2,500 a month, to 6.3m furloughed workers. However, chancellor Rishi Sunak [...]
Recipe box firm Hello Fresh hikes full-year guidance amid coronavirus lockdown boom May 5, 2020 Recipe box firm Hello Fresh has hiked its full-year guidance following a surge in demand in the first quarter of the year as customers ordered deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic. Expected group revenue growth is expected to be between 40 per cent to 55 per cent, from a previous estimate of 22 per cent to [...]
Watch: London’s 1945 VE Celebrations May 5, 2020 Londoners may not be packing the streets for the 75th anniversary of VE Day this Friday, but the capital’s screen archivists have pulled together compelling footage of the first to give a flavour of the original celebrations. London’s Screen Archives, a network of more than 70 heritage and history organisations across the capital, have found [...]
Sky launches £1m advertising fund for small businesses May 5, 2020 Sky has today launched a £1m fund that will provide free TV advertising campaigns to 100 small businesses hit by the coronavirus crisis. The scheme is available to small and medium sized businesses that have been running for at least a year in the UK with up to 50 full-time employees. Companies can nominate themselves [...]
Qantas halts plans for non-stop flights to London and New York May 5, 2020 Australian airline Qantas has suspended plans to commence record-breaking non-stop flights to London and New York due to disruption caused by coronavirus. It was reported that the carrier has made the decision to delay the so-called “Project Sunrise”, which was due to launch in 2023, for an indefinite period. As a result, the airline has [...]
McDonald’s to reopen 15 UK restaurants amid lockdown – with one big difference May 5, 2020 McDonalds has announced which 15 restaurants it plans to open for delivery this month, including four branches in London. The fast food giant announced this morning that it will reopen its Tooting, Dalston, Harrow and Welling restaurants on 13 May. However, in order to comply with social distancing measures, McDonald’s will offer a limited menu [...]
London Capital & Finance investors could start receiving compensation this month May 5, 2020 Investors in collapsed mini-bond firm London Capital & Finance (LCF) could start receiving compensation this month. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) said today it would start issuing decisions on LCF claims relating to misleading advice given to its customers before the end of May. It said it had already started reviewing individuals claims and [...]
Coronavirus: What is the NHS contact-tracing app and how does it work? May 5, 2020 The eagerly-awaited NHS contact-tracing app has been rolled out for the first time today, with key workers on the Isle of Wight the first to trial the new technology. The smartphone app, which is available to healthcare and council workers from today and the rest of the island from Thursday, is expected to be rolled [...]
More than 100,000 UK firms apply for ‘bounce back loans’ on first day May 5, 2020 UK banks have reported huge demand for “bounce back loans” on the first day of the new coronavirus lending scheme yesterday, with more than 100,000 of Britain’s smallest businesses applying by this afternoon. The bounce back loan scheme is the latest coronavirus support package for UK firms. Launched yesterday, it offers the UK’s smallest companies [...]