Omicron invades US as new Covid variant rears its head in New York, Colorado, Minnesota, California and Hawaii December 3, 2021 US authorities are on high alert as the new Coronavirus variant, the Omicron mutation, has been discovered in at least five states. The Covid-19 variant had been undetected in the US before the middle of this week. A Colorado woman who had recently travelled to southern Africa, a Hawaii resident with no recent travel history [...]
Generation rent: Most Brits believe housing crisis will not be resolved in their lifetime December 2, 2021 Less than one in six UK adults believe the housing crisis will be resolved in their lifetime, with confidence in the Government equally low, while more than half of all Brits see the housing crisis as one of the country’s most pressing societal issues at present, according to new research that was exclusively shared with [...]
Healthcare regulator approves GlaxoSmithKline drug for severely ill Covid patients in UK December 2, 2021 A drug treatment which, the makers say, works against the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, has been approved by UK regulators. Xevudy (sotrovimab), made by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has been found to cut hospital admission and death by 79% in those at risk. The monoclonal antibody has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare [...]
Coronavirus U-turn: Japan partly reverses Covid travel ban as Omicron variant increasingly appears to be ‘mild‘ mutation December 2, 2021 A ban on new incoming flight bookings in Japan has been dropped, the country’s government said this morning. The policy, aimed at halting the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, only came into force yesterday. The transport ministry on Wednesday issued a request to international airlines to stop taking new reservations for flights coming into [...]
Dogger Bank C: World’s largest offshore wind farm passes last milestone before £9bn construction December 2, 2021 Joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor said this morning that they have reached financial close on Dogger Bank Wind Farm C, the third phase of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when complete in March 2026. SSE Renewables and Equinor have started constructing the first two phases of the 3.6GW Dogger [...]
UK scientists discover what causes blood clot complications in AstraZeneca Covid vaccine December 2, 2021 UK scientists believe they have found the reason behind the extremely rare blood clot complications stemming from the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. According to an international team of researchers from Cardiff and the US, the reaction can be traced to the way the adenovirus used by the vaccine to shuttle the coronavirus’ genetic material into cells binds [...]
Exclusive: LV= CEO Mark Hartigan on the controversial £530m takeover by Bain Capital, ten days ahead of the vote of his life December 1, 2021 Last week, Liverpool Victoria (LV=) , the 178-year old mutually owned life insurance and pensions provider, turned down an improved offer from its competitor Royal London, which had proposed dismantling the business. The development came amid increasing criticism over a £530m proposed takeover of LV= by Bain Capital, as non-profit members would receive just £100 [...]
Loungers beats pre-pandemic sales as customers flock back and expansion picks up pace December 1, 2021 Bar and restaurant group Loungers has beaten pre-pandemic sales as customers flocked back to its sites following the lifting of Covid restrictions earlier this year, the company has revealed. Revenues hit £102m in the six months to October 3 with a pre-tax profit of £12.8m as bosses opened 12 new sites and aims to open [...]
‘Cash machine at the till’ for withdrawals up to £50 coming to thousands of shops across the UK December 1, 2021 People can soon withdraw up to £50 in notes and coins in smaller shops without having to buy anything. A scheme enabling people to get cash from retailers’ tills without needing to make a purchase is to be rolled out to more than 2,000 shops before the end of the year. Cash machine network Link [...]
Pandemic exodus: More than 40,000 staff quit social care sector in last six months alone December 1, 2021 Analysis of Government figures shows this morning that more than 40,000 social care staff have left the sector over the last six months, amid what a think tank is calling a “toxic mix of workforce challenges”. The Nuffield Trust said there is a “deepening crisis” in social care staffing ahead of a very challenging winter. [...]
