Over 1m ‘locked out’ of coronavirus income support schemes, MPs warn June 15, 2020 The government must extend its coronavirus income support measures to cover over a million people who have “fallen through the gaps” in the schemes, MPs said. In a report published this morning, the influential Treasury Select Committee (TSC) said large numbers of people were suffering financial hardship because they are unable to benefit from the [...]
Asian stocks, oil prices fall as second wave fears grow June 15, 2020 Asian stocks stumbled on Monday and oil prices slipped as fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections in Beijing sent investors scurrying for safe-havens. Meanwhile, underwhelming data from China further weighed on investor sentiment. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.3 per cent with Australian shares off 0.1% and South [...]
Shorter hours and portable loos: How London’s West End is reopening shops after lockdown June 15, 2020 The West End was one of the first areas of London to suffer the economic damage wrought by coronavirus, even before lockdown. By mid-February, people were already avoiding the usually bustling restaurants of Chinatown, following false reports that the disease could be caught more easily there. Now, after months of lockdown-induced hibernation, businesses across the [...]
Coronavirus death toll in UK rises by lowest since lockdown began June 14, 2020 The death toll in the UK from confirmed cases of coronavirus has risen by 36 to 41,698, the government said today. The increase is the lowest recorded since 22 March, the day before Prime Minister Boris Johnson implemented lockdown measures. The daily tally of deaths related to Covid-19 usually dips over the weekend due to [...]
UK economy: Five charts that show we face a long road to recovery June 13, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has plunged the UK economy into an unprecedented crisis, with GDP shrinking by a record 20.4 per cent April as lockdown measures hammered businesses. The Bank of England has warned that Britain could be heading for its deepest recession in three centuries this year. It is widely believed that April will mark [...]
Stressed about your finances in the coronavirus pandemic? You’re not alone June 13, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has brought about significant financial unease among UK workers, a survey has found. Two-in-five people who work for larger companies reported an increase in financial anxiety in the wake of the pandemic, according to Close Brothers research. Only 54 per cent of workers felt they were financially prepared for the crisis. Meanwhile, [...]
England’s coronavirus ‘R’ number rises to 0.8 to 1.0 range June 12, 2020 The reproduction rate of coronavirus infections in England has risen to 0.8 to 1.0, slightly higher than the rest of the UK. For the UK as a whole, the so-called R number remains at 0.7 to 0.9. Used by the government to inform decisions on easing lockdown, the R number represents the average number of [...]
We must be ready for further stimulus, says Bank of England’s Andrew Bailey June 12, 2020 The Bank of England and other policymakers must be ready to take further action to help the UK’s economy because of the risk of the coronavirus shutdown causing long-term damage, governor Andrew Bailey has said. “We are still very much in the midst of this,” Bailey told broadcasters today. His comments come after new data [...]
Coronavirus UK death toll rises by 202 June 12, 2020 Deaths in the UK from coronavirus rose by 202 today, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said. As of 9am this morning, there have been 6,434,713 tests, with 193,253 tests conducted yesterday. A total of 292,950 people have tested positive so far. As of 5pm yesterday, of those who had tested positive for [...]
Uber to make face masks mandatory for all from Monday June 12, 2020 Uber has announced that it will be mandatory for all of its passengers and drivers to wear face masks from 15 June. The measures, which are in line with new public health rules over public transport use, will initially apply to London before a wider rollout across the UK. As part of the initiative, which [...]