End the war on pubs — hospitality isn’t to blame for the Covid crisis October 21, 2020 2020 should have been a year of cheering on our teams in the European football finals and Olympics from pubs and bars across the land, bolstered by meals out in beer gardens throughout a typically blistering British summer. Instead, thanks to Covid-19, this year will be remembered for social distancing, job losses, and uncertainty. After [...]
Majority of Londoners plan to stay in capital despite pandemic fallout October 21, 2020 Londoners have remained loyal to their city throughout the coronavirus crisis, with the bulk of people in the capital pledging not to leave the city despite fresh Tier 2 restrictions and work from home orders, according to new research. Just seven per cent of Londoners plan to pack up and flee the capital in the [...]
Greater Manchester to move into Tier 3 from Friday October 20, 2020 Greater Manchester will move into Tier 3 restrictions from midnight on Thursday night, Boris Johnson has announced. The city will receive an extra £22m of financial support after talks between central and local government fell apart. Mayor Andy Burnham described the offer as “brutal”. “This is no way to run the country in a national [...]
UK to run ‘human challenge’ coronavirus trials in world first October 20, 2020 The UK is set to become the first nation to launch “human challenge” trials, after the British government today said it would plug almost £34m into studies where healthy people are deliberately exposed to coronavirus. The trials, which could begin as soon as January, will aim to speed up the hunt for a vaccine by [...]
Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser boosts sales on UK hygiene kick during pandemic October 20, 2020 Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser has continued to flourish throughout the pandemic, as the company today reported a 20 per cent hike in cleaning product sales during the third quarter. The FTSE 100 company, which also owns brands such as Nurofen, Cillit Bang and Durex, reported a 13 per cent jump in overall sales between July [...]
Covid deaths rise but still only five per cent of first wave peak October 20, 2020 Weekly coronavirus-related deaths have risen to the highest level since the start of July, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In total, 438 deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week ending 9 October with Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate, ONS figures released today showed. The [...]
City of London pledges to lure in small businesses and artists in plan to ‘reinvent itself’ October 20, 2020 The City of London Corporation has pledged to “reinvent itself” by encouraging small businesses and artists to “re-enter the city centre”, as the capital attempts to shake off the economic damage of the pandemic . In a five-year target to reinvigorate London, the City has drawn up plans to motivate small businesses and artists to [...]
Calls for a circuit breaker are out of date, misguided, and not grounded in science October 20, 2020 The politicians supporting a circuit breaker lockdown, like the one due to come into effect in Wales on Friday, say they are “following the science”. They appear to be referring to a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) document dated 21 September. If so, it’s science, Jim, but not as hard as we know it. [...]
Hospitality sector bangs pots and pans in Parliament Square to call for further government support October 19, 2020 Chefs, farmers, waitresses and caterers took their pots and pans to Parliament Square today to make their calls for further government support for the hospitality sector heard across Westminster. Hundreds of workers from the food and drink industry urged ministers to provide fresh funding to save wide-scale job losses and venue closures, as further restrictions [...]
Ottolenghi: “Ludicrous” Tier 2 rules will “kill” good businesses October 19, 2020 Renowned chef Yotam Ottolenghi has criticised the Government’s ‘tier 2’ restrictions at a protest in London. The Israeli-born Ottolenghi told Sky News today: “I don’t think hospitality has been shown to spread (Covid-19) restrictions, and if it has then shut us all down and give us furlough again.” Unless furlough support is forthcoming, Ottolenghi warned [...]