Coronavirus: National Trust to keep outdoor sites open March 18, 2020 The National Trust is putting in place measures to keep its open places accessible to the public free of charge during the coronavirus crisis. By Friday the charity is planning to have made arrangements to keep its outdoor spaces open, but will shut all houses, shops and cafes to restrict the spread of the virus [...]
Government set to use mobile signals to monitor virus outbreak March 18, 2020 The government has approached the UK’s mobile operators about using phone signals as part of its efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Officials are in talks with O2, Vodafone, EE and Three over tracking data from the UK’s 84m active mobile devices to help authorities fight the pandemic. The data is anonymised — meaning individuals [...]
US stocks plummet again as traders shrug off coronavirus stimulus March 18, 2020 Wall Street plunged once again today despite the prospect of a $1 trillion (£850bn) fiscal stimulus package to support the economy during the coronavirus outbreak and yet more action from the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones industrial average index was last down 10.7 per cent, the S&P 500 had shed 9.7 per cent, and the [...]
Home workout: Easy ways to stay in shape amid Covid-19 March 18, 2020 What a crazy few weeks it’s been. The City is quieter than I’ve ever seen it – it’s like a ghost town out there. Few of us have ever experienced this kind of mass uncertainty, and that makes it more important than ever to look after ourselves. Thankfully, although we might be locked inside, there [...]
Coronavirus: Ocado closes website down as demand soars March 18, 2020 Online supermarket Ocado has closed its website for several days as it grapples with a surge in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. The delivery company said it is temporarily shut until 21 March in order to “complete essential work” to make product and delivery slot distribution as “fair and accessible” as possible. In a [...]
Pound crashes to 1980s lows amid coronavirus sell-off March 18, 2020 The British pound has suffered a historic plunge to its lowest level since 1985 as concerns mount about the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak and as investors flock towards the dollar. Sterling was last down four per cent against the dollar at $1.158, its lowest point since the economic turbulence of the 1980s and one [...]
Coronavirus: Death toll in Italy surges to 2,978 March 18, 2020 The death toll from coronavirus in Italy has surged in the last 24 hours by 475 to 2,978, an increase of 19 per cent, the biggest jump in numerical terms since the contagion came to light last month, Italian officials said today. The total number of cases in Italy rose to 35,713 from a previous [...]
Pizza Express agrees £70m loan facility March 18, 2020 Pizza Express has agreed a £70m loan with HPS Investment Partners amid a difficult time for casual dining chains as customers were advised to avoid eating out to stop the spread of coronavirus. The new super senior facility agreement will be used to repay in full and cancel its £20m existing revolving credit facility and [...]
Coronavirus: UK schools will shut from Friday ‘until further notice’ March 18, 2020 UK schools will be shut from Friday afternoon “until further notice”, the education secretary Gavin Williamson has confirmed. Schools will remain open for children of key workers and those who are “vulnerable”, he told the Commons today, saying the situation had changed sufficiently that they could no longer remain open. “The spike of the virus [...]
Serena Williams-backed health startup Quit Genius raises $11m in funding round March 18, 2020 A health tech startup backed by tennis champion Serena Williams has raised $11m (£9.4m) to help bolster its digital therapy services. San Francisco-based Quit Genius, which provides stop smoking services to NHS trusts in the UK, secured the cash injection in a series A funding round led by Octopus Ventures. The latest financing follows a [...]
