Business groups cautiously welcome easing of workplace restrictions July 17, 2020 Boris Johnson has announced that employers will be given “more discretion” to decide whether to bring staff back to workplaces after the coronavirus lockdown. From 1 August, firms will be able to ask staff to come back if it is safe to do so. “If employees think it would be better and more productive to [...]
Reopened restaurants in London: A new regular round-up of the latest food news July 17, 2020 Coronavirus may have shuttered the food industry since lockdown was announced, but the restaurant business is bouncing back, with dozens of our favourite places to eat reopening every day. In this new column, we’ll bring you the latest news from the front-line of the food business, complete with all the details you need to book [...]
Boris Johnson: Social distancing may end in November July 17, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said social distancing could be scrapped by November as the government tries to move the country back to “significant normality” before Christmas. “It is my strong and sincere hope that we will be able to review the outstanding restrictions and allow a more significant return to normality from November at [...]
Matt Hancock calls for ‘urgent review’ into England coronavirus deaths tally July 17, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has called for an “urgent” review into an official tally of coronavirus deaths that has been revealed to include people dying of other causes. Public Health England (PHE) included people who tested positive for Covid-19 but died from other causes in its stats of coronavirus deaths in the country, the Evening [...]
England lockdown: Guidance on public transport and workplaces to be relaxed July 17, 2020 From 1 August employers will be asked to decide on whether to bring staff back to workplaces after the coronavirus lockdown, Boris Johnson announced today. Restrictions on public transport will also be lifted from today, he said, with anybody now allowed to use any method of travel they wish. Speaking at a press conference, the [...]
London’s R rate could be as high as 1.1 July 17, 2020 London’s R rate could be as high as 1.1, according to the government’s Sage advisory group. The R rate – the reproduction rate of the virus – is between 0.8 and 1.1 in the capital as the government continues to ease lockdown measures. It stands at 0.7 and 0.9 in the rest of the UK, [...]
Boris Johnson says England will move to local coronavirus lockdowns July 17, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said councils and the central government will be able to implement local lockdowns to tackle coronavirus outbreaks in a major shift in policy. “From tomorrow, local authorities will have new powers in their areas,” Johnson said. “They will be able to close specific premises, shut local outdoor spaces and cancel [...]
London boroughs spent nearly £1m opposing Heathrow expansion July 17, 2020 A number of London boroughs and Transport for London have spent almost £1m over the last year and a half in challenging plans to expand Heathrow Airport. Between September 2018 and March this year, the boroughs of Hillingdon, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Hammersmith and Fulham, as well as the capital’s transport operator, have spent £944,603 [...]
FTSE 100 inches up as EU begins €750bn fund discussion July 17, 2020 The FTSE 100 eked out a minor rise today, staying just about in the green to post a 0.11 per cent gain by 10.45am. European stocks were mixed as traders witnessed a nervy start to a crucial meeting of the EU to agree on a €750bn package, and whether it should be mainly given out [...]
DEBATE: Is employee experience with IT the key factor for a productive post-pandemic workforce? July 17, 2020 Is employee experience with IT the key factor for a productive post-pandemic workforce? Pedro Bados, chief executive and co-founder of Nexthink, says YES. Employees’ working experiences have historically been measured through three key elements: people, place, and technology. Recent months have turned this dynamic on its head. With workers across the country sent home from [...]