UK could see ‘significant return to normality’ and economic rebound by summer February 4, 2021 The UK could see a “significant return to normality” by the summer, one of the government’s top scientific advisers has said, as the nation’s largest ever vaccination programme continues to beat targets. Andrew Hayward, director of UCL’s Institute for Epidemiology and member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said this morning that [...]
Remote working ‘could cost UK economy up to £95bn a year’, report finds February 4, 2021 Remote working could cost the UK economy up to £95bn a year, according to a new report analysing the benefits of office environments. Research commissioned by commercial landlord Landsec found that face-to-face working boosts productivity and innovation and sparks investment in residential and commercial property, business events, meetings and travel. The report found that the [...]
Airport hotel chain still ‘in the dark’ over new UK quarantine plans February 4, 2021 Britain's biggest airport hotel chain has been "kept in the dark" over how the government's hotel quarantine policy for arrivals will work, a week on from its announcement.
Piers Corbyn arrested over leaflets comparing UK’s vaccine programme to Auschwitz February 4, 2021 Piers Corbyn, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s brother, has been arrested for handing out leaflets comparing the nation’s Covid vaccination programme to Auschwitz. The Metropolitan Police told London newspaper Jewish News: “Officers investigating reports of malicious material in the form of a leaflet being circulated in south London in late January have made two arrests. [...]
Square Mile launches rapid Covid test site for City workers February 4, 2021 The City of London Corporation has opened a rapid Covid test site for workers in the Square Mile who do not have coronavirus symptoms to get tested once a week. The site on 80 Leadenhall Street, launched in partnership with the NHS, will allow City workers still going into the office and people living in [...]
More than 1m Londoners have received first dose of Covid vaccine February 4, 2021 More than 1m people in London have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, following concerns that the capital had been falling behind in the nation’s immunisation programme. Official figures published last night showed 1,011,490 Londoners have received their first dose of either the Astrazeneca/Oxford University or Pfizer/Biontech vaccines, while a further 60,658 people [...]
MPs back bereavement campaign to ensure grieving families do not ‘slip through the net’ February 4, 2021 Dozens of MPs have called on the government to improve treatment for grieving families by refining the process of registering a loved one’s death. The plea came during a debate in the House of Commons on the campaign for a cross-industry bereavement standard, where ministers promised to consider the demands of supporters. More than 91,000 [...]
International travel has ‘biggest impact’ on Covid death rates February 4, 2021 International travel had the biggest impact on Covid death rates in the first wave, according to a new study, Researchers from the University of Aberdeen studied a range of factors including border arrivals, population density, the population of people living in urban areas, BMI, age and smoking prevalence. They found that an increase of 1m [...]
New UK trial will ‘mix and match’ different Covid vaccines February 4, 2021 A new trial testing whether giving people two different Covid vaccines for their first and second doses is as effective as the current approach of using the same vaccine for both has been launched. The £7m trial is the first of its kind in the world, and comes as the UK reported that more than [...]
Which Covid vaccines has the UK government ordered? February 4, 2021 The UK passed a significant milestone yesterday after health secretary Matt Hancock announced that more than 10m people across the country have now received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. The news buoyed hopes of a return to normality by the summer, with Britain now firmly ahead of targets to vaccinate the most vulnerable [...]