Air Partner takes home £11.5m from Covid-related services despite travel restrictions February 22, 2021 While most flights were grounded, aviation group Air Partner has enjoyed a profitable year, taking home £11.5m due to its ferrying of PPE throughout the pandemic. The strong profits followed the group’s buy-up of CHS Engineering (CHS) at the end of 2020, which brough new consultancy services and baggage system testing ahead of new rules [...]
What will Boris Johnson’s ‘roadmap’ for exiting lockdown look like? February 22, 2021 Boris Johnson has vowed to set out a “roadmap” for lifting lockdown measures this afternoon, as the UK continues to make rapid progress with its vaccine rollout. While the shape of the timeline has yet to be revealed, the Prime Minister has said he will provide dates for lifting specific measures “if we possibly can”. [...]
Vaccination programme ‘beginning to bear fruit’, says minister February 22, 2021 The UK’s largest ever vaccination programme is “beginning to bear fruit”, the vaccines deployment minister has said, after early evidence showed it was beginning to bring down hospitalisations and deaths. Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News the “evidence looks good” on the Covid vaccination plan, which has seen almost one in three adults in the UK [...]
Boris Johnson unveils ‘four tests’ to lifting lockdown restrictions February 22, 2021 Boris Johnson has announced a four-step plan to reopen the country from months of lockdown, as he prepares to set out his “roadmap” later today. By the end of next month two households, or up to six people, will be able to meet outdoors for the first time in 2021 under the Prime Minister’s new [...]
Surge testing rolled out in parts of Essex for South Africa Covid variant February 21, 2021 A coronavirus testing blitz will be carried out in parts of Essex following a single confirmed case of the South Africa Covid variant. Surge testing and genomic sequencing will be carried out in the CM13 postcode in Brentwood to stamp out the “variant of concern”. People living in the targeted area are strongly encouraged to [...]
Hancock refuses to apologise over High Court ruling on PPE deals February 21, 2021 Matt Hancock has refused to apologise after the High Court ruled he broke the law by failing to publish details of billions of pounds-worth of coronavirus contracts within the required 30-day period. Mr Justice Chamberlain’s ruling followed a legal challenge brought by three opposition MPs and the Good Law Project over contracts to supply personal [...]
Hancock suggests Covid restrictions likely to last past May February 21, 2021 The government will take a “cautious” approach to easing lockdown measures, the health secretary has said, as he hinted that restrictions may stay in place into the summer months. The government has set out plans to offer a first dose of the vaccine to all over-50s and those with serious underlying health conditions by mid- [...]
Sunday Sitdown: Time Out boss Julio Bruno on the ‘renaissance’ of cities February 21, 2021 While no one could have predicted the outbreak of coronavirus, few companies have been blighted by worse timing than Time Out. In the face of shrinking revenue from its core events listings business, the media group has spent recent years shifting its focus to a new offering of food and culture markets. But when the [...]
Some 17 million people receive first Covid jab as deaths hit 120,000 February 20, 2021 A total 17,247,442 people in the UK have received a first coronavirus vaccine, as the number of Covid-19 deaths hit a grim 120,000. A further 445 people died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, according to the latest government figures, taking the total number of people to 120,365. Another 10,406 people were confirmed [...]
Hallelujah: Two households to be able to meet outside by Easter February 20, 2021 Two households will be allowed to meet outside by Easter regardless of their size, though social distancing measures are likely to remain in place for months. The new rule is expected to be announced on Monday as part of Boris Johnson’s road map to ease lockdown restrictions, according to reports. Gatherings of six people from [...]