Government misses testing target for fourth consecutive day May 6, 2020 The government has missed its target for coronavirus testing for the fourth day in the row, after just 69,463 tests were carried out yesterday. In the Downing Street daily briefing, communities secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed 69,463 tests had been carried out in the past day. More than 30,000 people have died from coronavirus in the [...]
M&A set for torrid second quarter as deal volumes are expected to contract further May 6, 2020 UK M&A deal volumes are expected to contract further in the second quarter of 2020, after falling to a 35-year low last month. A Mark to Market survey of M&A professionals found that 95 per cent of respondents anticipate deal volumes in the UK to fall in the second quarter. Of those, 56 per cent [...]
Business organisations form coalition in response to coronavirus May 6, 2020 Leading employer organisations have joined forces to create a united voice for business in response to the coronavirus pandemic. A group of more than 20 organisations have formed the Business Action Council (BAC), which claims to represent more than half a million businesses across the UK. Its founding members include the Confederation of British Industry [...]
Elon Musk and Grimes name son X Æ A-12 May 6, 2020 Tesla chief executive Elon Musk and singer Grimes have confirmed they have named their newborn son X Æ A-12. Musk announced the birth of their son on Monday, tweeting: “Mom and baby all good”. He also announced the child would be called X Æ A-12 and Grimes later explained the choice of name. Musk also took [...]
Government scientist resigns after breaking lockdown to meet his lover May 5, 2020 Government scientist, Professor Neil Ferguson, has resigned from his advisory position after the Telegraph revealed he had broken social distancing rules to meet his married lover. Professor Ferguson, who leads a team at Imperial College London, reportedly allowed a woman to visit him in lockdown while advising the public to social distance. The epidemiologist had [...]
Barclays approves over 32,000 ‘bounce back’ loans May 5, 2020 Barclays has approved over 32,000 “bounce back” loans since the scheme was launched yesterday. Yesterday, the bank said it received 35 loan applications per minute when the government launched the new scheme. Barclays UK chief executive Matt Hammerstein told a House of Commons committee that the bank had received 200 applications within minutes of opening [...]
Activists and coronavirus: Funds will target devalued firms after crisis May 5, 2020 Much has been made of the comparison between the coronavirus crisis and the global financial crash over a decade ago. The pandemic has left dozens of listed UK companies in need of a lifeline, with the travel and leisure sectors devastated by government-imposed restrictions. FTSE firms across all sectors have witnessed their stocks implode as [...]
Airline body says face masks should be worn on flights to prevent the spread of coronavirus May 5, 2020 The industry body representing global airlines has recommended passengers wear masks on flights to prevent the spread of coronavirus once flying restarts. David Powell, medical adviser to the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), said while normal seat allocation can be maintained, face masks should be worn on board. Some major US airlines have already introduced [...]
Lloyds delivers over £1bn in ‘bounce back loans’ on first day of scheme May 5, 2020 Lloyds Bank has delivered over £1bn in “bounce back loans” to 32,000 small businesses on the first day of the scheme. The bounce back loan scheme is the newest government support package for UK firms hit by the financial impact of the coronavirus. Banks have reported a huge demand for the loans, and since its [...]
Quicker testing would have been ‘beneficial’ says chief scientific adviser May 5, 2020 The UK’s chief scientific adviser has told MPs it would have been “beneficial” to have ramped up testing for coronavirus quicker. Sir Patrick Vallance told the Commons Health Select Committee that testing alone would not control the virus. The UK government moved away from contact tracing and testing in the community before lockdown started. Instead, [...]
