Coronavirus: Employees can defer annual leave for two years, says business secretary March 28, 2020 Employees unable to take all their annual leave this year due to the coronavirus pandemic will be allowed to carry it over for two years, the business secretary announced today. Alok Sharma, standing in for self-isolating Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the government’s daily briefing, said the government had introduced new measures to facilitate this. [...]
Coronavirus UK: Death toll passes 1,000 after biggest daily increase March 28, 2020 The number of people to have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has reached 1,019 – passing the 1,000 mark for the first time. It comes after a further 260 people were confirmed to have died today by the department of health, in the UK’s biggest daily increase. The vast majority of [...]
Coronavirus testing to be rolled out for frontline NHS staff this weekend March 28, 2020 NHS staff in England are set to be tested for coronavirus from this weekend in an effort to prevent frontline healthcare workers from being required to take unnecessary time off. Those with symptoms or in a household with people who have symptoms will be checked as a priority. Critical care doctors and nurses will be [...]
UK coronavirus: Chief medical officer Chris Whitty self-isolates March 27, 2020 Chris Whitty, the UK’s chief medical officer, has self-isolated after experiencing coronavirus symptoms. Whitty, charged with advising Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the UK’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, said today he has tested positive for the virus. Johnson and health minister Matt Hancock earlier confirmed they have caught coronavirus and are self-isolating. Whitty said [...]
UK coronavirus death toll jumps 31 per cent to 759 March 27, 2020 The UK coronavirus death toll has jumped 31 per cent to 759, the biggest daily increase yet. As of 9am today, 182 people across the UK had died in the previous 24 hours after contracting coronavirus. The number of confirmed cases rose to 14,579, with a total of 113,777 people being tested so far. On [...]
Shaun Bailey: Three steps London must take to protect key workers on the Tube March 27, 2020 Imagine being a key worker taking the Tube tomorrow morning. A 20-minute wait for the next train — if you manage to get on. A carriage so overcrowded that you’ve got no hope of social distancing. And then a rush to your hospital, your police station, your school. We’re asking key staff to put their [...]
UK coronavirus: Firefighters to recover dead bodies if crisis worsens March 27, 2020 British firefighters will help the UK government recover dead bodies should the UK coronavirus outbreak lead to mass casualties. The London Fire Brigade will also deploy firefighters to drive ambulances. And they will deliver food to the elderly and vulnerable amid the UK coronavirus lockdown. The emergency service will continue to respond to fires and [...]
More than half London’s tech firms planning for ‘survival’ amid coronavirus impact March 27, 2020 More than half the tech businesses in London have admitted that “survival” is the only plan over the next three months, according to a new survey. The impact of the coronavirus outbreak has left 53 per cent of London-based tech firms just trying to survive in the short term, while 32 per cent of respondents [...]
Coronavirus: Police get power to arrest or fine those breaking lockdown rules March 26, 2020 Police have been given the power to arrest or issue fines of £60 to people found to be breaching the UK coronavirus lockdown rules. In a bid to enforce the restrictions that were announced on Monday evening, police can issue a fixed penalty notice of £60, which will be lowered to £30 if paid within [...]
Coronavirus: London’s Excel centre set to open 500 hospital beds next week March 26, 2020 A temporary hospital at East London’s Excel centre will have 500 beds open next week for coronavirus patients. Health secretary Matt Hancock announced on Tuesday that the Excel centre would be turned into the NHS Nightingale Hospital, to deal with the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, and will have 4,000 beds. An official Downing Street [...]