Government and Covid test supplier Novacyt row over £150m PCR contract May 21, 2021 A major supplier of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Covid-19 testing kits is in dispute with the government over a £150 million contract. Novacyt developed one of the UK’s first coronavirus testing kits in January 2020, subsequently working alongside AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and the University of Cambridge in April last year. It led to the signing of [...]
Nationwide customers saved a further £10.6bn over the pandemic May 21, 2021 Customer deposited increased by £10.6bn throughout the pandemic, Nationwide said today, while remote working has made its workforce ‘more productive’ in the year to 4 April. With lockdown restrictions closing high streets and putting a pin in travel, Nationwide found deposits increased by double what they increased by in 2019, as customers stashed cash into [...]
Retail sales soared in April as Brits came out of third Covid-19 lockdown May 21, 2021 Retail sales soared in April as Brits came out of third Covid-19 lockdown
Study: Two doses of Astrazeneca jab could be 90 per cent effective May 20, 2021 Two doses of the Oxford/Astrazeneca jab could be around 85 to 90 per cent effective, a new study has shown, suggesting its real-world protection is higher than in clinical trials. The study, published by Public Health England (PHE), showed the estimated effectiveness of the jab was 89 per cent, compared to unvaccinated people. That compares [...]
Indian variant latest: Cases jump by more than 2,000 in a week May 20, 2021 Cases of the Indian variant of the coronavirus in England have risen by more than 2,000 in the space of a week, according to new official figures. Public Health England (PHE) said the latest weekly data showed there were 3,424 cases of the B1617.2 mutation – an increase of 2,111 on the previous week. While [...]
Post-lockdown sexplosion: Touch-starved Brits push sale of condoms and sex toys through the roof May 20, 2021 Somewhat of a ‘sexplosion’ has begun this week as around 7.9m single people in the UK celebrate the easing of lockdown restrictions Proof that physical interaction between millions of Brits is increasing rapdily comes from High Street giant Superdrug, sharing with City A.M. that its condom sales have gone up by 65 per cent since [...]
Marshall Motor to repay £4m in pandemic relief, despite restrictions closing its doors May 20, 2021 Car dealer Marshall Motor is already set to repay furlough cash and retail grants it received this year amid the pandemic, following strong vehicle demand. The business said it would refund the £2.6m of furlough payments received so far this year, alongside the £1.4m of extra government relief, according to the Telegraph. “After such significant [...]
Euromoney Institutional Investor restores dividends as revenue dips May 20, 2021 B2B information provider Euromoney Institutional Investor saw subscriptions grow this year but took a hit to both its revenue and profits as social distancing foiled events. Revenue fell by 17 per cent to £155.5m from £186.3m last year, due to social distancing measures fumbling physical event plans, in the six months to 31 March. “The [...]
Mixer company Fever-Tree enjoys sales bump as lockdown drinks continue May 20, 2021 Beverage company Fever-Tree has seen a 10.1 per cent year-on-year sales bump as people continue to indulge in more alcoholic drinks throughout lockdown measures. Fever-Tree, which sells carbonated mixers, enjoyed a sales boost in the first four months of the year ending 18 April, thanks to strong levels of ‘at-home consumption’, the group said. Demand [...]
Covid-19: Surge testing and vaccines to be introduced in Hounslow May 19, 2021 Surge testing and additional vaccines will be rolled out in Hounslow amid concerns about the spread of Indian Covid-19 variant. Health secretary Matt Hancock today told MPs that cases of the new Covid variant now stood at almost 3,000 after increasing by almost a quarter since Monday. As a result, surge testing and extra vaccine [...]