Jeremy Hunt: Reimposing restrictions may be inevitable if Covid cases continue to rise July 17, 2021 The government may have to reimpose lockdown restrictions if Covid cases continue to rise over the summer and into the autumn, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned. Hunt, who is now chairman of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, said the situation was “very serious”. “The warning light on the NHS dashboard is [...]
Pingdemic: Plans to overhaul Covid app mothballed July 16, 2021 The government has shelved plans to overhaul the NHS Covid-19 app amid a surge in cases. A senior government source revealed on Friday that Health Secretary Sajid Javid had explored options for tweaking the app, but has decided against making any changes for now, although the options remain on the table. Read more: ONS update: [...]
International scientists warn UK Freedom Day is ‘murderous’ as Whitty says numbers could ‘get scary’ July 16, 2021 A group of 1200 international scientists have clubbed together to condemn Boris Johnson’s decision to go ahead with Freedom Day next week as “murderous”, as Whitty warned Covid-19 still had a “long way to run in the UK.” It builds upon an open letter penned last week and signed by1400 scientists and doctors that accused [...]
Vomiting bug: Sudden rise in Norovirus cases prompts health body to issue warning July 16, 2021 Public Health England (PHE) today reported an unexpected rise in norovirus cases, warning that the easing of lockdown measures may cause an out-of-season increase in cases. PHE said there had been an uptick in outbreaks in recent weeks to levels higher than expected in summer months. Cases of the winter bug mostly stemmed from educational [...]
Exclusive: ‘Pull the plug on test and trace and delete the app’, says Pimlico Plumbers chief Charlie Mullins July 16, 2021 This week, more than half a million people were pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app, the highest figures ever. A total of 520,194 notifications were sent out, informing the app’s users that they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. People must isolate for 10 days, leading [...]
Face mask mandate to stay for airports and flights July 16, 2021 Travellers will still be required to wear face masks after English legal restrictions ease, UK airports and airlines said in a joint statement today. Passengers who refuse to wear a mask will be denied boarding for both domestic and international flights. Children and those with medical reasons preventing them from wearing a mask will continue [...]
ONS update: One in 95 people in England had Covid last week July 16, 2021 An estimated one in 95 people in England tested positive for Covid-19 in the week up to 10 July, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In yet another sign that Covid cases are multiplying in the UK, the ONS estimates that 577,700 people in England had Covid last week [...]
Corona Impact Series: The Walthamstow bakery that was saved by quick thinking and simple tech July 16, 2021 In this series, City A.M. looks at the financial and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic on a range of small and medium-sized businesses across London. READ THE ENTIRE SERIES HERE TODAY BREAD is an artisan bakery based in East London, founded in 2013 from a small flat in Walthamstow. The bakery was the passion project of Alexandre Bettler, who [...]
Pingdemic shutdown: No industry untouched by NHS Test and Trace havoc July 16, 2021 Staffing shortages have turned manufacturing, bin collections, retail, transport and healthcare upside down as the NHS Test and Trace app “pinged” more than half a million people into isolation last week. The contact tracing app’s sensitivity is now under review after reports that the app is “pinging wrong” and Brits are being told to self-isolate [...]
Al fresco dining to become a High Street fixture while takeaway pints are extended for a year July 16, 2021 Al fresco dining is set to become a fixture of the high street and takeaway pints will continue for another year as part of a Government strategy to help England’s pubs, bars and restaurants recover from the pandemic. Pavement licences are to be extended and made permanent to allow more customers to eat outside under [...]