Bubbles and baubles: UK Covid restrictions set to be lifted for Chistmas November 22, 2020 The government is set to lift Covid restrictions on Christmas eve to allow for up to four households to form holiday bubbles. People in the four-household bubble will be able to interact indoors anywhere, including in pubs and restaurants. Downing Street has reportedly been in touch with the devolved governments of Wales, Northern Ireland and [...]
In pictures: Westminster gets festive as parliament unveils Christmas tree November 21, 2020 Westminster is gearing up for the start of the festive period after parliament’s mammoth Christmas tree was unveiled. The 43-feet tall Sitka spruce took up its traditional place in the grounds of the historic House of Commons. The prodigious plant began its life in Northumberland’s Kielder Forest, before being transferred to SW1 by Forestry England. [...]
Brits to be granted ‘week of Christmas freedom’ in lockdown easing plan November 21, 2020 Lockdown rules could be relaxed for a week over Christmas but Brits would face continued restrictions until late December, according to reports. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will next week announce a nationwide relaxation of Covid rules from 22 to 28 December, allowing several families to join in one “bubble”, the Telegraph reported. But the festive [...]
Vaccine by Christmas: Government ready to start vaccinating ‘next month’ November 20, 2020 The NHS is ready to start vaccinating people in England against coronavirus from next month, the health secretary confirmed today. “If the regulator approves a vaccine, we will be ready to start the vaccination next month with the bulk of the rollout in the New Year,” Matt Hancock said at a Downing Street coronavirus briefing. [...]
Coronavirus: R rate falls across UK to between 1 and 1.1 November 20, 2020 The UK’s coronavirus reproduction number has fallen slightly to a maximum of 1.1, according to official figures. The current estimate of Britain’s coronavirus R rate now stands between 1 and 1.1, down from a previous estimate of 1.1 and 1.2. It means on average every 10 people infected will infect between 10 and 11 other [...]
Just 30% of businesses commit to 2020 Christmas bonus November 20, 2020 Just three in 10 businesses that offer annual Christmas bonuses have committed to doing so in 2020. Numerous businesses have not confirmed if they will offer their traditional annual bonus, and a recent survey by expenses app ExpensesOnDemand found the sole focus for the majority of businesses is cash flow as they struggle to manage [...]
Flattening Covid cases could see families gather at Christmas, says Hancock November 20, 2020 Flattening Covid-19 cases could mean Britain eases its distancing measures to allow families to gather for Christmas, Matt Hancock has said. The health minister is working with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for a UK-wide approach to rules for Christmas. England has been under lockdown for two weeks following a rise [...]
UK retail sales outperform expectations ahead of second lockdown November 20, 2020 UK retail sales rose for the sixth consecutive month, smashing analysts’ expectations as Britons stocked up on goods ahead of new restrictions. In October UK retail sales volumes grew 1.2 per cent, well ahead of the 0.0 per cent expected, said the Office for National Statistics. Volumes are now 6.7 per cent higher than in [...]
From hero to zero: How supermarkets became the villains of the pandemic November 20, 2020 The recent news from Public Health England (PHE) that supermarkets are the most frequent common exposure setting for those catching Covid-19 in England is both shocking and devastating. But should we really be too surprised? PHE used data collated from the NHS test and trace app during the lockdown in November when supermarkets, as in [...]
Aldi extends Deliveroo service across London November 20, 2020 Aldi has extended its trial with Deliveroo to 130 stores across the UK, including 16 London branches. The budget supermarket announced this morning that Londoners will be able to order groceries through the Deliveroo app, to be received in as little as 20 minutes. Orders within 6km of participating stores, which include Tooting, Camden and [...]