Germany to enter four-week lockdown from November October 28, 2020 Germany will enter a four-week lockdown from 2 November, Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed today. Pubs, bars and restaurants across the country will shut for one month, while all inter-household mixing will be banned. Gyms, cinemas and theatres will also shutter for four weeks, as Merkel scrambles to contain a second wave sweeping across the nation. [...]
How close are we to having an approved coronavirus vaccine? October 28, 2020 There are a number of vaccine programmes which have advanced to stage three trials, the final hurdle before approval, including two based in the UK. How are they progressing?
Two-thirds of all UK businesses at risk of insolvency October 28, 2020 Two-thirds of all businesses across the UK currently trading have a “low to severe risk of insolvency”, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest Business Impact of Coronavirus Survey (BICS) from the ONS found that 64 per cent of businesses across all industries are at risk of insolvency, with 43 per cent [...]
Whole of Nottinghamshire to enter Tier 3 from Thursday night October 28, 2020 The whole of Nottinghamshire will enter Tier 3 restrictions from midnight on Thursday, as the government scrambles to curb a spike in infections across the county. Previously Nottingham City, Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe councils had been preparing to enter the highest alert level. However, the entire county is now understood to be entering Tier 3 [...]
Management consultancies cash in £180m for Brexit planning October 28, 2020 Management consultancies have been awarded more than £180m to deliver Brexit, as the government faces mounting criticism for handing out taxpayer cash to private firms during the pandemic. Documents released yesterday showed the government has signed six Brexit contracts each worth £30m with KPMG, McKinsey, Bain, Deloitte, Accenture and PwC. Ministers said the £180m sum [...]
Exclusive: MPs call for clarity on Bounce Back Loan replacement as lenders shut door on SMEs October 28, 2020 An influential group of cross-party MPs has called for the government to replace the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) as soon as possible after lenders shut the door on new applicants for the state-backed coronavirus funding. All but one of the 28 banks eligible to lend money under the scheme have closed to new customers, [...]
Majority of London offices cancel Christmas parties in face of new restrictions October 28, 2020 Almost all London offices have parked the tinsel and cancelled their Christmas parties this year, according to new research, as the capital faces a bleak festive season under Tier 2 restrictions. More than 95 per cent of London businesses have cancelled bookings for traditional office parties this Christmas, after the capital’s move to “high” alert [...]
Post-furlough job losses hit young and minority workers hardest, study shows October 27, 2020 One in five young people and more than one in five black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers who were furloughed during lockdown have since lost their jobs, according to a new report. A survey of more than 6,000 Brits by the Resolution Foundation think tank showed that while the furlough scheme curbed unemployment levels [...]
Flying is at the same risk level for catching Covid as visiting the supermarket, Harvard research finds October 27, 2020 A new report from Harvard researchers found the risks of catching Covid-19 during a flight are similar or lower than going to the supermarket – if you wear a mask
Shaun Bailey vows to restore free travel for pensioners in London mayor bid October 27, 2020 London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey has vowed to restore the Freedom Pass if elected as Sadiq Khan’s replacement in the 2021 mayoral election. The Conservative party candidate told City A.M. he has pledged to reinstate free travel for people over the age of 66, after it was suspended in June as the coronavirus crisis crippled [...]