UK Government won’t insist workers are jabbed to return to office, but rules out Covid passports July 30, 2021 Workers being double-jabbed before returning to the office is a “good idea” but will not be a legal requirement, Grant Shapps said, and he today ruled out Covid passports for pubs and shops. The Transport Secretary said some companies will require their staff to be fully vaccinated but it won’t become law. Shapps said that [...]
A third of over 55s felt loneliness like never before during the pandemic July 29, 2021 A third of over 55s felt loneliness like never before during the pandemic, while for 11 per cent their experience of loneliness had a significant detrimental impact on their mental wellbeing. For many over 55s the pandemic and various lockdowns didn’t mark their first feelings of loneliness, 15 per cent recognised loneliness before the pandemic [...]
Mastercard profits jump more than a third as easing Covid restrictions boost spending July 29, 2021 Mastercard beat expectations and posted a 36 per cent rise in profits in the second quarter, buoyed by an overall increase in spending as vaccine rollouts accelerated, lockdowns lifted and travel picked up. Adjusted net income rose 36 per cent to $1.9bn from $1.4bn in the same period last year. Corresponding earnings per share reached [...]
Travel industry welcomes end of quarantine for double-jabbed EU & US citizens but concerns remain July 28, 2021 Airlines and travel firms today hailed the news that the UK will drop quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers from the EU and US next week but warned more changes were needed. Industry body Airlines UK said: “Exemptions for all fully vaccinated travellers is undoubtedly a positive move, offering a lifeline for thousands of businesses [...]
Pfizer hikes Covid vaccine sales forecast by almost a third to $33.5bn July 28, 2021 Pfizer has raised its full-year sales forecast for its coronavirus vaccine by nearly a third, as governments across the world rush to secure doses to vaccinate their populations. The US drugmaker raised its 2021 forecast for sales of the Covid vaccine that it produces with Germany’s BioNTech by 28.8 per cent to $33.5bn (£24bn), up [...]
Self-employed: women lost almost double the income than men during the pandemic, survey shows July 28, 2021 Self-employed women lost around 20 per cent of their income during the course of the pandemic, compared to 11 per cent for self-employed men. This is according to a new survey by the insurance provider for small and medium-sized enterprises Superscript, shared with City A.M. The poll surveyed 2,015 male and female sole-traders, freelancers and [...]
UK Covid cases have now fallen for seven days in a row. Is this the beginning of the end? July 27, 2021 The number of people testing positive for new cases of Covid-19 has now fallen for seven days in a row, prompting thoughts that the UK may be through the worst of the third wave of the pandemic. But are they justified? A seven day stretch of falling case rates last happened in summer last year, [...]
Boris Johnson urges caution as falling Covid case numbers raise hopes for UK July 27, 2021 The Prime Minister said that people should not get carried away by six days of lower Covid case numbers in the UK, and warned that the effects of Freedom Day had not yet fed through to the data. Johnson urged people not to get complacent or jump to premature conclusions after the UK recorded six [...]
Return to pub trumps return to work for Brits in first week since Freedom Day July 27, 2021 Freedom Day’s easing of restrictions on 19 July sparked a return to drinking holes and restaurants for more Brits last week than it did a return to the office, according to new data tracking average footfall. Overall hospitality footfall in the UK now stands at 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels, and the lifting of [...]
Supermarket sales improve tentatively after restaurant reopening hit July 27, 2021 UK supermarket sales improved slightly in the last four weeks as Brits stocked up on beers for the Euros and picnic items to enjoy in the sun, according to new data released today. Total till sales over the four weeks ending 17th July were down 1.3 per cent on the same period last year, new [...]