What will Boris Johnson’s ‘roadmap’ for exiting lockdown look like? February 22, 2021 Boris Johnson has vowed to set out a “roadmap” for lifting lockdown measures this afternoon, as the UK continues to make rapid progress with its vaccine rollout. While the shape of the timeline has yet to be revealed, the Prime Minister has said he will provide dates for lifting specific measures “if we possibly can”. [...]
Vaccination programme ‘beginning to bear fruit’, says minister February 22, 2021 The UK’s largest ever vaccination programme is “beginning to bear fruit”, the vaccines deployment minister has said, after early evidence showed it was beginning to bring down hospitalisations and deaths. Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News the “evidence looks good” on the Covid vaccination plan, which has seen almost one in three adults in the UK [...]
Onthemarket toasts pandemic property boom with strong hike in revenue February 22, 2021 Onthemarket has hailed a busy year of house-hunting during the pandemic, as the property platform reported a surge in revenue for the year to 31 January. Onthemarket said it expected full-year adjusted revenue to be around £22.5m, marking a 20 per cent year-on-year hike during the pandemic. It also expects adjusted operating profit for the [...]
HSBC to move top brass out of Canary Wharf in ‘pivot to Asia’ February 22, 2021 HSBC will accelerate plans to increase its presence in Asia, as the bank prepares to shift some of its senior executives from London to Hong Kong, according to reports. Chief executive Noel Quinn is expected to begin marketing HSBC’s “pivot to Asia” when he announces the bank’s 2020 earnings tomorrow. Under the plans, a raft [...]
Boris Johnson unveils ‘four tests’ to lifting lockdown restrictions February 22, 2021 Boris Johnson has announced a four-step plan to reopen the country from months of lockdown, as he prepares to set out his “roadmap” later today. By the end of next month two households, or up to six people, will be able to meet outdoors for the first time in 2021 under the Prime Minister’s new [...]
Opinion: We need to stop calling it ‘NHS’ Test and Trace February 21, 2021 Who runs NHS Test and Trace? “Surely the NHS?”, you might say. Not according to NHS England’s boss, Sir Simon Stevens. When quizzed by the Health and Science Committee last month, Stevens said: “I can’t comment specifically on Test and Trace because that is run by the Department of Health and Social Care rather than [...]
Surge testing rolled out in parts of Essex for South Africa Covid variant February 21, 2021 A coronavirus testing blitz will be carried out in parts of Essex following a single confirmed case of the South Africa Covid variant. Surge testing and genomic sequencing will be carried out in the CM13 postcode in Brentwood to stamp out the “variant of concern”. People living in the targeted area are strongly encouraged to [...]
Hancock refuses to apologise over High Court ruling on PPE deals February 21, 2021 Matt Hancock has refused to apologise after the High Court ruled he broke the law by failing to publish details of billions of pounds-worth of coronavirus contracts within the required 30-day period. Mr Justice Chamberlain’s ruling followed a legal challenge brought by three opposition MPs and the Good Law Project over contracts to supply personal [...]
Hancock suggests Covid restrictions likely to last past May February 21, 2021 The government will take a “cautious” approach to easing lockdown measures, the health secretary has said, as he hinted that restrictions may stay in place into the summer months. The government has set out plans to offer a first dose of the vaccine to all over-50s and those with serious underlying health conditions by mid- [...]
Fatberg ‘size of small bungalow’ removed from Canary Wharf sewer February 19, 2021 A fatberg “the size of a small bungalow” has been removed from a Canary Wharf sewer, after Thames Water engineers spent two weeks clearing it. The grease build-up was found underneath Yabsley Street, near the London offices of Barclays, Citibank and Credit Suisse. Canary Wharf residents and workers have been urged to be “careful what [...]
