Coronavirus: Government recruits 405,000 volunteer army More than 400,000 people have registered to join the government’s volunteer army in a bid to support frontline services grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. Health secretary Matt Hancock yesterday announced that Downing Street was looking for 250,000 fit and healthy people sign up to join the new NHS Volunteer scheme. This afternoon Prime Minister Boris [...]
PM warns Mike Ashley – obey the rules or face the consequences Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley to “obey the rules or to expect the consequences”, after the retailing heavyweight insisted staff must continue working during the coronavirus outbreak. During a bumper PMQs, Johnson was repeatedly asked about the situation facing workers, particularly self-employed, who currently have no additional support beyond [...]
Hancock calls for 250,000 coronavirus volunteers as government readies London mega hospital The government has called for 250,000 healthy people to become volunteers, as part of efforts to support vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak. At the same time, health secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed the opening of a temporary new mega-hospital at London’s Excel centre. Leading the daily press conference from Downing Street, Hancock said the [...]
Coronavirus: Government goes to war with City Hall over London Tube restrictions March 24, 2020 The government and City Hall are at war over Transport for London’s decision to restrict the Tube’s services, which has forced remaining commuters to cram into available carriages. Last week, TfL shut 40 stations and reduced the usual weekday service with some lines only running a train every 10 minutes. The Waterloo & City shuttle [...]
Coronavirus: Police can do ‘whatever is appropriate’ to enforce lockdown March 24, 2020 Police will be granted the powers to do “whatever they consider appropriate” to enforce the coronavirus lockdown measures introduced by the Prime Minister last night. Regulation will be in place by Thursday at the latest, allowing officers to issue fines to those who refuse to comply with the rules set out by Boris Johnson in [...]
Coronavirus lockdown: Sadiq Khan urges construction sites to close March 24, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called for London construction sites to be closed down in the wake of the government’s effective coronavirus lockdown. The mayor of London said he disagreed with the government’s ruling that construction sites could stay open and that it would be “very, very difficult” for those workers to follow social distancing instructions. Khan [...]
Coronavirus: Prime Minister announces unprecedented lockdown across UK as government battles Covid-19 March 23, 2020 The Prime Minister has imposed unprecedented restrictions on people’s movements, which will be enforced through the police, in a desperate bid to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. In a historic address to the nation, Boris Johnson revealed that people would only be allowed to leave their home for “very limited purposes” including shopping for basic [...]
Coronavirus: PM urges Brits to be ‘reasonable’ and responsible as he says ‘tide will turn’ in 12 weeks March 19, 2020 Brits have been urged to be reasonable and responsible as the government continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak as it begins to peak. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he believed covid-19 could be under control by the summer – but only if people follow the social distancing measures already set out. If not, he [...]
School closures are the latest sign of just how much our society is going to change March 19, 2020 The past few weeks have been spent trying to understand and interrogate the coronavirus outbreak, initially at a distance but increasingly up close and personal. Friends and neighbours are now self-isolating, some with symptoms that sound almost certain to be Covid-19, others less so — but without sufficient tests, people aren’t willing to take the [...]
Coronavirus bill: Government outlines emergency powers to curb coronavirus outbreak March 19, 2020 Doctors and police officers will be handed sweeping powers to detain people suspected of being infected with Covid-19, as part of measures being brought in with emergency legislation. According to the nearly 330-page Coronavirus Bill published this afternoon, a single doctor may be able to “impose such requirements and restrictions on the person as the [...]
