Rail franchising ‘ended’ as government extends emergency support September 21, 2020 Ministers today announced the end of rail franchising after 24 years by extending support measures introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Department for Transport (DfT) today announced a wide scale shake-up to the UK’s rail network in a bid to create a “simpler and more effective structure” over the coming months. Train [...]
Coronavirus: Johnson faces calls for urgent action and COBRA meeting as cases rise September 19, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under pressure to take “decisive action” in the battle against coronavirus as cases rise. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has demanded a COBRA meeting within the next 48 hours and echoed the sentiments of London mayor Sadiq Khan regarding the need to learn from March’s mistakes and implement restrictions [...]
Trump predicts Covid-19 vaccine to be available to every American by April September 19, 2020 US President Donald Trump has said he expects a vaccine for coronavirus to be available for every American by April. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Trump told reporters he was optimistic of the vaccine being available in just seven months time and that it would be distributed within 24 hours of federal approval. [...]
Just 6 per cent of UK population has Covid-19 antibodies, SAGE says September 19, 2020 Only six per cent of the UK’s population has antibodies to Covid-19, minutes from a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) meeting earlier this month have revealed. The scientific advisers told the government that just a small proportion of the country had antibodies to coronavirus in the meeting. SAGE also informed officials that there was [...]
Coronavirus: New London lockdown restrictions ‘increasingly likely’ while PM warns of second wave across UK September 19, 2020 London mayor Sadiq Khan has said he does not want to wait for coronavirus cases “to spiral out of control again” before further lockdown measures are introduced in the capital. Khan said it was looking “increasingly likely” that more restrictions would be needed as has been seen in other parts of the country. Sadiq Khan [...]
Exclusive: Premier League Covid-19 testing firm raises $15m for UK rollout September 18, 2020 The company behind the Premier League’s coronavirus testing programme has raised $15m (£11.6m) in fresh funding as it eyes a UK rollout for its new rapid Covid-19 test. Biotech firm Prenetics said it will use the cash injection to advance its rapid testing technology, which promises results in 15 to 30 minutes. Prenetics played a [...]
Only a fortnight left until UK coronavirus crisis ‘out of control’, experts warn September 18, 2020 The UK only has two to three weeks to improve its Test and Trace scheme before the spread of coronavirus gets “out of control”, experts have warned today. The Independent Sage committee of scientists, chaired by former chief scientific adviser Sir David King, has issued a report to caution government of an upcoming crisis if [...]
Travel stocks hit turbulence amid UK lockdown fears September 18, 2020 Travel stocks took a fresh beating in early trading this morning amid rising fears that the UK could be set for a new nationwide lockdown. British Airways owner IAG led the FTSE 100 fallers this morning, tumbling more than eight per cent. Budget airline Easyjet was also down almost seven per cent, while rivals Ryanair [...]
Coronavirus: London braced for tighter restrictions as cases surge September 18, 2020 London could be on track for tighter restrictions on socialising and nights out amid reports official figures will show a surge in Covid-19 cases in the capital. The number of cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period has risen from 18.8 to roughly 25, the Evening Standard reported. The sharp spike in new cases [...]
Government imposes fresh spate of local lockdowns across northern England September 17, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed a fresh round of local lockdowns across towns in the north of England, alongside a £2.7bn funding boost for the NHS. From today, additional lockdown measures will be imposed in Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham. These will include: Households only being allowed to [...]