Tomorrow will be a better day is a mantra for business, too February 5, 2021 “Tomorrow will be a better day.” Words of comfort from the late Captain Sir Tom Moore that will inspire a nation in the days to come. The news of his passing hit me harder than I had any reason to expect. I admired him greatly for the life he led and the dignified positivity and [...]
Astrazeneca vaccine works against Kent Covid variant February 5, 2021 The Astrazeneca vaccine currently being deployed in the UK’s largest ever immunisation programme works against the coronavirus variant first identified in Kent, researchers have found. Scientists from Oxford University, working in collaboration with the British-Swedish firm, said the jab has a similar efficacy against the new Covid variant compared to the original coronavirus strain it was [...]
Government orders 50m doses of CureVac vaccine for new Covid mutations February 5, 2021 The government has signed a deal with German biotech firm CureVac for 50m doses of a new vaccine being developed to tackle emerging Covid mutations. The deal will see CureVac create “new varieties of vaccines based on messenger RNA technology to be developed quickly against new strains of Covid-19 if they are needed”, the Department [...]
Cheers: Substantial meal rule to be scrapped when pubs reopen February 5, 2021 The rule that punters have to order a substantial meal with their pint is reportedly set to be scrapped when pubs reopen later this year. The prime minister will allow restrictions on pubs to be simplified after the full lockdown is lifted. Under the tier system that was in place before the latest national lockdown, [...]
Covid-19 variants: could mutations prolong the pandemic? February 5, 2021 The end is in sight. Isn’t it? The cautious optimism of vaccination programmes made the final curtain of the Covid-19 pandemic visible for the first time. Concern is growing, however, after Public Health England announced it is investigating cases with “worrying” new genetic changes found in regions of the UK. Cases in Liverpool and Bristol [...]
UK government will ‘help facilitate’ vaccine passports, says minister February 5, 2021 The UK government will “help facilitate” vaccine passports with other countries as part of plans for Europe to return to normality, the Foreign Office minister has said. The Times reported this morning that British officials have started working on an official certification system after Greece said it would waive quarantine rules for tourists able to [...]
Government faces backlash over ‘half-baked’ hotel quarantine plans February 5, 2021 Ministers have faced a deluge of backlash over “half-baked” plans to introduce a mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals to the UK, with some MPs calling the scheme “too little too late”. The Prime Minister earlier this week said the government was drawing up plans to introduce a mandatory 10-night hotel quarantine on arrivals to Britain [...]
Londoners could face tougher face mask rules in transport crackdown February 5, 2021 Tube and bus passengers in London could be made to wear higher-grade face masks to help combat new mutant strains of Covid-19. Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London have both launched reviews of current guidance amid concerns about the rapid spread of the so-called Kent strain across the UK. Face coverings have been mandatory [...]
Permanent staff recruitment falls sharply in January February 5, 2021 The latest national lockdown led to permanent staff hires plummeting in January, according to a UK jobs report. Research conducted by KPMG and REC shows the reduction was driven by the return of tough coronavirus measures and greater economic uncertainty. The resurgence of Covid-19 also caused growth in short-term vacancies to weaken in most sectors. [...]
Corona Impact Series: How an EV charging company in Shoreditch was powered up by a policy change mid-pandemic February 5, 2021 In this series, Morning Wire looks at the financial and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic on a range of small and medium-sized businesses across London. This week: How an electric vehicle charging startup in East London was made future-proof by government policies that were introduced at the height of the pandemic. “When the first [...]