Collision of pandemic and Brexit pushes £18bn loss in travel services trade November 22, 2021 The collision of the pandemic and leaving the European Union (EU) has tipped an £18bn loss in travel services trade, according to the latest figures. While total service exports and imports grew in the second quarter, trade in services remained well below levels seen prior to Covid-19, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed. Weaker [...]
Fresh restrictions blanket new Covid epicentre – Europe November 18, 2021 Ireland has become the latest European country to impose fresh Covid-19 restrictions, as the continent becomes the epicentre of the pandemic. From today, the country’s population will work from home where possible, though universities will not sink back into online teaching. Hospitality has also been impacted, with bars and restaurants having been ordered to [...]
Antivaxxers targeting Tesco Christmas ad set to complain to advertising watchdog November 17, 2021 The antivaxxers who began the #BoycottTesco trend at the weekend have reportedly arranged a campaign to complain to the Advertising Standards Authority. Tesco became the latest subject to antivax protest after it included a double vaccinated Santa in its Christmas advert. Antivaxxers, those who have been against the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, took to Twitter to [...]
Covid: WHO expert urges world leaders to wear masks as Europe cases climb November 10, 2021 A World Health Organisation (WHO) lead has urged world leaders to wear a mask, just days after prime minister Boris Johnson was seen maskless during a hospital visit. Johnson had been seen posing with masked hospital staff in a corridor at Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland, without wearing a mask himself. Though the prime minister [...]
ONS: Firms increasingly hiking prices as supply chain crisis bites November 4, 2021 Nearly two-fifths of UK firms reported higher costs across their supply chains in new official data, with many passing on the increase to consumers. New ONS data has seen a significant increase in the number of firms putting up prices, from 4 per cent at the start of the year to 15 per cent in [...]
Education secretary: Test children for Covid daily instead of sending them home November 3, 2021 Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has urged that children undergo daily Covid-19 testing to avoid them missing out on school. Zahawi said the approach would be “much better”, with children in school and taking lateral flow tests as opposed to being at home due to coming in contact with a positive case. Daily testing should be [...]
MPs mull the end of hotel quarantine as battered travel firms yearn for recovery October 28, 2021 MPs are mulling the end of hotel quarantine and wiping remaining countries from the red travel list, according to reports. The red list has been drastically cut down earlier this month, ahead of the October half-term, with just seven Latin American countries remaining. Though ministers could reportedly scrap the red travel list on Thursday, which [...]
Over 80,000 12 to 15-year-olds book Covid-19 vaccinations in teen rollout October 27, 2021 More than 80,000 12 to 15-year-olds have booked a Covid-19 vaccination, as cases among secondary school age children remain high. Around 2.5m letters will be sent out to parents this week, which will invite them to book a jab for their child. Covid-19 vaccines were made available to the age bracket in late September, but [...]
More than 5m receive Covid-19 booster jab in six weeks as rollout picks up the pace October 26, 2021 More than half of over-50s have received their Covid-19 booster jab, as the once sluggish rollout picks up the pace, NHS England has confirmed. The booster rollout, which targets those who were prioritised last year in the UK’s immunisation programme, has seen over 4.5m over-50s receive a third dose in less than six weeks. The [...]
Pandemic festivities: A ‘normal Christmas’ is on the horizon, says Sajid Javid October 25, 2021 A “normal Christmas” is on the way, providing everyone “plays our part”, health secretary Sajid Javid has said today. Responding to concerns that this Christmas could face the same fate it did last year, Javid told BBC Breakfast: “What we know about this virus is that it’s unpredictable and I don’t think any sensible health [...]