Coronavirus: R rate falls across UK to between 1 and 1.1 November 20, 2020 The UK’s coronavirus reproduction number has fallen slightly to a maximum of 1.1, according to official figures. The current estimate of Britain’s coronavirus R rate now stands between 1 and 1.1, down from a previous estimate of 1.1 and 1.2. It means on average every 10 people infected will infect between 10 and 11 other [...]
Pfizer applies for emergency use of Covid-19 vaccine in US November 20, 2020 Pfizer has applied for emergency use of its Covid-19 vaccine in the US, meaning the treatment could be rolled out as early as next month. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech submitted an emergency use authorisation request to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is also seeking approval elsewhere around the world. It [...]
Just 30% of businesses commit to 2020 Christmas bonus November 20, 2020 Just three in 10 businesses that offer annual Christmas bonuses have committed to doing so in 2020. Numerous businesses have not confirmed if they will offer their traditional annual bonus, and a recent survey by expenses app ExpensesOnDemand found the sole focus for the majority of businesses is cash flow as they struggle to manage [...]
Treasury rebuffs calls from City banks for help chasing bad debts from Covid loans November 20, 2020 Treasury rebuffs calls from City banks for help chasing bad debts from Covid loans
Gatwick Airport to open coronavirus testing centre November 20, 2020 Gatwick Airport will open a coronavirus testing centre at the end of the month offering passengers results the next day. From 30 November, passengers both arriving at and departing from the Sussex airport will be able to take a test for £60. The airport said the centre could help to fulfil the requirements of the [...]
Flattening Covid cases could see families gather at Christmas, says Hancock November 20, 2020 Flattening Covid-19 cases could mean Britain eases its distancing measures to allow families to gather for Christmas, Matt Hancock has said. The health minister is working with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for a UK-wide approach to rules for Christmas. England has been under lockdown for two weeks following a rise [...]
UK borrowing drops to £22bn in October but deficit hits new record November 20, 2020 The UK government’s borrowing dropped sharply in October as companies and individuals required less economic support, with spending on the furlough scheme almost quartering. Public sector net borrowing came in at £22.3bn last month, down sharply from a downwardly revised figure £28.6bn a month earlier, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. It was also [...]
Little ‘Christmas cheer’ as UK consumer confidence falls November 20, 2020 New coronavirus restrictions and rising cases knocked UK consumer confidence in November, a survey has shown, as people became more gloomy about their future economic health. The closely watched consumer confidence index from researcher GfK fell two points to minus 33 in November, its lowest reading since June. Britain’s economy has been hit particularly hard [...]
Government to roll out free flu vaccinations for over-50s November 19, 2020 Over-50s will be eligible for free flu vaccines from 1 December in a bid to stop the NHS being overloaded from the “twin threats” of flu and coronavirus during the winter. In the largest ever flu vaccination programme in England, individuals aged between 50 and 64 will now be able to get flu vaccines from [...]
Test and Trace bosses ‘set out plans to rebuild public trust’ November 19, 2020 Test and Trace bosses have set out plans to “rebuild public trust” among local councils, according to reports, as the contact tracing app this week failed to identify 123,000 positive cases of coronavirus. According to leaked slides seen by Sky News, government officials heading up England’s contact tracing scheme believe they need to “reset” their [...]