Gyms plead for government aid as fitness firms feel weight of Omicron December 22, 2021 Gym bosses have pleaded for government help after Omicron has caused attendance numbers at exercise classes to plummet in recent weeks. A work from home directive and scientists’ messaging to avoid socialising in the weeks before Christmas has caused people to shun fitness firms, one boss told CityA.M. While pubs and restaurants are eligible for [...]
Police release CCTV images in search for missing student Harvey Parker December 21, 2021 Police searching for a missing 20-year-old have released new CCTV images as they appeal for further information. Harvey Parker was last seen leaving Heaven Nightclub in Westminster at around 2.15am on Friday 17 December. The Met Police said that there was “nothing to indicate any reason for him to go missing.” Additional CCTV shows Harvey, [...]
London theatres forced to cancel shows after Covid afflicts cast and crew December 21, 2021 London theatres have been forced to shut this week after a wave of Omicron infections hit the capital. Venues have been impacted by cast and crew testing positive for Covid while customers have cancelled tickets for performances. Productions forced to cancel shows include Aladdin, Bring It On, Cabaret, Cinderella, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen [...]
Hospitality bosses say Treasury support ‘borders on insulting’ as firms call for more aid December 21, 2021 Hospitality and leisure bosses have welcomed the announcement of a short-term support package for businesses but called for more. Venues have been hit hard by cancellations as the public stays away from the capital in a last attempt to dodge the highly transmissible Omicron variant before Christmas. After calls from industry bosses, Chancellor Rishi Sunak [...]
Nike revenue hit as Covid factory closures bite but brand ‘increasingly confident’ December 21, 2021 Nike narrowly beat earnings expectations in its quarterly earnings report, after reporting pandemic-related supply chain challenges. In its earnings report for the second quarter, the footwear giant posted just a one per cent increase in revenue from a year before. It put this down to supply chain issues, including “lower levels of available inventory” because [...]
Home transactions up in November as eyes turn to Omicron’s impact on market December 21, 2021 Transaction numbers gained pace in November, up 24.3 per cent on the previous month, following an initial dip after the end of the stamp duty holiday. According to the latest HMRC data, there were 96,290 housing transactions in November, 16.4 per cent lower than November 2020, but up on the prior month. The figure for [...]
UK reports 8,044 cases of Omicron variant, bringing total to over 45k infections December 20, 2021 Another 91,743 Covid cases have been reported in the UK today, including 8,044 cases of the Omicron variant. The number of cases is almost 9,000 higher than yesterday, bucking a trend where Monday’s figure is normally lower due to a delay in data reporting across the weekend. The total number of Omicron cases in the [...]
Biscuit maker McVitie’s warns of price hikes December 20, 2021 McVities’ owner Pladis Global has said prices on popular household names could increase as much as five per cent. The company said it had experienced higher costs due to staff absences, increased ingredient costs and higher labour costs. Pladis’s UK managing director, David Murray, said: “Omicron disruption, absenteeism, and the rising cost of business going [...]
One in three nightclubs fear imminent closure without government aid as sector faces Omicron ‘death sentence’ December 20, 2021 One third of nightlife businesses are afraid they will close within a month, without urgent government support, as ministers mull further measures this week. One fifth of firms fear they could lose their entire workforce without more financial aid, according to a survey of more than 500 venues by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). [...]
Cabinet to meet over additional Covid curbs to slow Omicron spread December 20, 2021 Cabinet ministers are to meet virtually this afternoon to discuss potential new measures to slow the spread of Omicron. A meeting will be held at 2pm this afternoon, with the BBC reporting that officials will look at three options for fresh measures. According to the BBC, the measures relate to different levels of severity: low, [...]
