Germany warns of border closures amid fear of COVID-19 mutations January 19, 2021 By Andreas Rinke and Christian Kraemer BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that Germany may need to consider border crossing curbs if other European countries do not act to halt the spread of the coronavirus, particularly its new, more transmissible variants. “We can do anything we like, but we will not succeed if [...]
Emirates launches vaccine passport app to collate flyer data on pre-flight testing and Covid-19 jab January 19, 2021 Emirates launches vaccine passport app to collate flyer data on pre-flight testing and Covid-19 jab
Sadiq Khan backs CBI’s calls for furlough extension January 19, 2021 The mayor of London has backed calls from the CBI for further financial support for businesses, saying current deadlines create a "financial cliff edge"
Tokyo Olympics unlikely to happen, says London 2012 chief Sir Keith Mills January 19, 2021 The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are “unlikely” to go ahead this year, says one of the architects of London 2012. Sir Keith Mills, creator of the Air Miles and Nectar loyalty schemes, was chief executive of London’s bid for the Games and deputy chair of the organising committee. He told the BBC: “Personally, sitting [...]
London schools could be first to reopen in ‘regional return’ for pupils, says medical adviser January 19, 2021 Schools in London could be among the first to reopen after England’s third national lockdown as infection rates across the capital continue to decline, the deputy chief medical officer has said. Speaking to MPs at an education committee meeting, Dr Jenny Harries said there would “likely” be regional differences in Covid measures once England exits [...]
Scotland extends lockdown until at least mid-February January 19, 2021 Scotland has extended its nationwide lockdown until at least the middle of February, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The Scottish premier told MSPs that transmission of the virus appeared to be on the decline, but was still too high to lift restrictions. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Sturgeon said: “The Cabinet decided this morning [...]
Market confidence is only artificially low, says IW Capital CEO January 19, 2021 The impact of Covid has been continually unpredictable since the first ripples in January of last year to the third lockdown of this year. Despite this, there is plenty of reason to feel optimistic about 2021. Both historical evidence and current sentiment point to a period of boom after months of gloom, according to Luke [...]
One in eight people had Covid antibodies last month, says ONS January 19, 2021 Around one in eight people in England had coronavirus antibodies in December, according to estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), meaning that they would have had the disease previously. The estimates, which are based off sample blood tests from people aged 16 and over, show that 12.1 per cent of people in England [...]
Health secretary Matt Hancock self-isolating after NHS app alert January 19, 2021 Matt Hancock is self-isolating after receiving an alert from the NHS coronavirus contact tracing app. The health secretary today said he had been “pinged” by the app and would not be leaving his house until Sunday. “This self-isolating is perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing,” he said in a video posted [...]
China’s Covid-19 outbreak worst since March 2020 January 19, 2021 China is battling the worst outbreak of Covid-19 since March 2020, with one province posting a record daily rise in cases, as an independent panel reviewing the global pandemic said China could have done more to curb the initial outbreak. State-backed tabloid the Global Times today defended China’s early handling of Covid-19, saying no country [...]