Japan may postpone Tokyo Olympics as coronavirus cases mount March 3, 2020 Japan may be allowed to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until the end of 2020, the country’s minister responsible for the games said today. Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto has said Japan’s agreement with the International Olympic Committee to host the 2020 games could be deferred until the winter. “The contract calls for the games to be [...]
ECB ‘working on lending scheme’ for small businesses hit by coronavirus March 3, 2020 The European Central Bank is reportedly working on measures to provide liquidity to businesses hit by the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Measures being considered by the ECB include a targeted longer-term refinancing operation directed at small and medium-sized firms, which could be hardest hit by a virus-related downturn, sources familiar with the discussion [...]
Coronavirus concerns see hand sanitiser sales leap 255 per cent March 3, 2020 Coronavirus fears saw sales of hand sanitiser spike 255 per cent in February, according to supermarket data released today. Sakes of liquid soaps also rose seven per cent as shoppers hit the shelves as the number of coronavirus cases outside China rose sharply last month, research firm Kantar said. Sales of household cleaners jumped 10 [...]
No fly zone: As coronavirus fears grow, airlines must brace for the worst March 3, 2020 One of last month’s more outlandish news stories was the report that the coronavirus outbreak had caused an upsurge in private jet inquiries. More wealthy travellers than ever, it seems, are willing to pay thousands of pounds an hour for a plane unto themselves, in an attempt to dodge the risk of getting infected. The [...]
It may be a while before the fog lifts on Italy March 3, 2020 The Italian economy was already looking rather parlous at the start of this year, with global bodies like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and European Commission all predicting almost negligible growth rates. Even the January forecast from Italy’s official statistics agency suggested that GDP would increase by just 0.2 per cent over the course [...]
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson to outline UK ‘battle plan’ to combat Covid-19 outbreak March 3, 2020 Boris Johnson is set to unveil a government action plan to outline the UK’s response to a growing number of coronavirus cases across Britain. The Prime Minister will reveal a six-point plan at a Downing Street later today in which he is expected to commit to school closures and event cancellations if the spread of [...]
Goldman Sachs and Citigroup halt foreign business trips over coronavirus March 2, 2020 US banking giants Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have expanded their restrictions on business trips by staff in response to the coronavirus epidemic. Citigroup’s restrictions will now cover all international business trips “until further notice”, the bank said. Previously, it had only restricted travel to a select number of countries that had reported outbreaks of the [...]
Coronavirus latest: UK to set out nationwide plan as Johnson warns spread ‘looks likely’ March 2, 2020 The UK government has agreed a plan for dealing with the coronavirus during an emergency Cobra meeting this morning, as the number of cases in the UK is expected to rise throughout the next few weeks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to “go about business as usual” and that the country was “very, very [...]
Saga halts Titan Travel sale as coronavirus worries weigh March 2, 2020 Over-50s insurer Saga is said to have halted the sale of one of its travel businesses as the coronavirus outbreak sparks chaos across the tourism industry. Advisers to Saga have postponed the auction of Titan, which operates escorted tours, cruises and rail journeys to various destinations around the world. A number of private equity firms [...]
Twitter bans ‘non-critical’ business travel over coronavirus fears March 2, 2020 Twitter has rolled out a ban on all “non-critical” business travel and events as the social media firm ramps up its health precautions amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a blog post published yesterday, Twitter’s chief HR officer Jennifer Christie said the company had informed staff of the new measures at the end of last week. [...]