UK registers record rise in coronavirus cases as Tier 4 comes into force December 20, 2020 The number of coronavirus cases jumped by the most since the start of the pandemic on Sunday, with 35,928 new instances of Covid recorded as of 9am. A further 326 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, the government said. It was down from the 534 recorded on [...]
Peckhamplex, Rio Dalston and Prince Charles cinemas amongst DCMS grant recipients December 20, 2020 Some of London’s best-loved cinemas have received vital funds from the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund, it emerged today. Some £16m has been injected into more than 200 independent cinemas across the country. Peckhamplex, a multi-screen cinema famed for showing the latest blockbusters at knockdown £4.99 prices, received £564,423 from the Government scheme. Read more: What [...]
Belgian Government joins Dutch in banning British arrivals December 20, 2020 Belgium has joined the Netherlands in banning British arrivals after the emergence of a new mutant strain of Covid-19 in the UK. PM Alexander De Croo announced the ban would be in place for at least 24 hours from midnight tonight, with most expecting the restrictions to last longer than that. It comes after the [...]
Tier 4: What does it mean for travel? December 20, 2020 Londoners may have been plotting to get home and see their families this Christmas, either in the UK or abroad, but those plans have been thrown into chaos by new Tier 4 restrictions. What are the new rules? The Government warns that “you must not leave your home to travel unless for work, education or [...]
Another London leisure landmark closes its doors for good December 20, 2020 Cafe de Paris, which opened in 1924 and only shut during the Blitz when it suffered a direct hit, will close its doors thanks to lockdown restrictions. Maxwell’s Restaurants, which owns Cafe de Paris as well as the Tropicana Beach Club, entered liquidation last week. The Sunday Times first reported the news. Some 400 jobs [...]
Publish which firms get furlough cash, government told December 20, 2020 The government should publish a list of companies that have received furlough money to increase transparency around the scheme, amid fears of waste and fraud, parliament’s spending watchdog has said. The cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) also said that chancellor Rishi Sunak’s repeated extensions to the scheme at short notice caused uncertainty that could have [...]
Tier 4 lockdown until widespread vaccine rollout, Health Secretary warns December 20, 2020 Matt Hancock has warned that an effective lockdown across London and the South East will continue until a sizable part of the population is vaccinated. Speaking to Sky News this morning, Hancock warned that the new variant of the Covid-19 virus was “out of control.” “Given how fast the variant spreads it is going to [...]
Mayor: The toughest Christmas since the Second World War December 20, 2020 Writing exclusively for City A.M., Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says he can “barely contain his anger at the confusion and chaos” sowed by Downing Street’s Christmas promises The last-minute announcement of tougher restrictions to control the spread of Covid-19 over Christmas is a bitter blow for millions of Londoners. Our city faces the toughest [...]
Mayor blasts “irresponsible promises” from No.10 amid Tier 4 chaos December 19, 2020 Sadiq Khan tonight criticised the Government’s “irresponsible promises” for raising expectations ahead of the Christmas period. In a dramatic afternoon statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced London would be moving into a lockdown similar to that saw in spring, from midnight tonight. It means that the capital’s residents will no longer be able to meet [...]
London in Tier 4: What are the rules? December 19, 2020 London, the South East and the East of England have been put into a new ‘Tier 4’ in a bid to contain a new spike in coronavirus cases. Christmas for those living in the affected areas has been essentially cancelled, with harsh restrictions imposed on the areas and families warned not to mix households. The [...]