Coronavirus: Imagine if the state could respond like this all the time? April 1, 2020 The effort has been extraordinary. Within a few days, entire hospitals have been constructed from scratch. Vast numbers of intensive care units and ventilators have been assembled at speed. The NHS, once a byword for bureaucracy, has been swift and nimble in getting ready for the Coronavirus emergency to come. Processes that would normally have [...]
English winemaker Chapel Down toasts surge in sales due to coronavirus lockdown April 1, 2020 British beer and wine producer Chapel Down has toasted a surge in supermarket sales as consumers stock up during the coronavirus lockdown. Supermarket and off licence sales have grown “substantially” and online transactions have also increased after the government ordered all pubs, theatres and hospitality venues to close in a bid to stop the spread [...]
A home working revolution? Not so fast, people love the office April 1, 2020 Chances are you are reading this from home. You are definitely reading it on an electronic device. A mere four weeks ago, you could have been leafing through the print edition or scrolling on the Tube, the bus, or your walk to work. No more. Measures to restrict the spread of coronavirus have meant hundreds [...]
13-year-old boy from London dies as UK coronavirus death toll jumps April 1, 2020 A 13-year old boy from Brixton who was treated for coronavirus has died, London’s King’s College Hospital has confirmed, as UK coronavirus cases continue to rise. Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, from Brixton in south London, is believed to be the youngest person to die from the coronavirus in the UK. A spokesperson for the hospital said [...]
Covid-19 might lead to long-term action on climate change April 1, 2020 As greenhouse gas emissions plummet due to the commercial standstill caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, there remains a glimmer of hope that at least one positive may arise from this terrible situation — we may yet manage to slow the onset of climate change. From reports of air pollution levels dropping between a third and [...]
DEBATE: Do we need a Keep Calm and Carry On approach to coronavirus communications? April 1, 2020 Do we need a Keep Calm and Carry On approach to coronavirus communications? Yes, says Emma Wood, an account director at integrated branding agency me&dave. It takes more than a series of directives to engage people and inspire them to act. And statistics will only go so far. We need to help people envisage things [...]
We cannot let this lockdown eliminate our civil liberties April 1, 2020 As we enter the second week of lockdown, there is already the possibility that social distancing measures could last until June, perhaps longer. Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England gave the stark warning to the nation on Sunday that: “we must not then suddenly revert to our normal way of living”. [...]
Once we reach a social distancing tipping point, more restrictions won’t help at all April 1, 2020 How long should the lockdown last? Should it be tightened or relaxed? An abstract concept from both epidemiology and network theory can give a powerful insight into these highly practical problems. This is the concept known as the “threshold”, sometimes called the critical point or the tipping point. The basic idea is a very familiar [...]
As governments respond, beware Covid-19 power grabs April 1, 2020 In the midst of the financial crisis of 2008, Rahm Emanuel, soon-to-be chief of staff for US President-Elect Barack Obama, famously announced that “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” Emanuel was [...]
Felipe Massa interview: Formula E star on life in Brazil under coronavirus lockdown and a disruptive season with Venturi Racing March 31, 2020 The health crisis currently gripping the globe has forced people from far and wide to put their life on pause — and for Felipe Massa it has been no different. Used to racing at speeds of more than 200kmph and jet-setting around the world to compete in Formula E, Massa’s life, too, has come to [...]