Before the Bell: Tech firms under pressure as Europe poised for modest rebound January 12, 2021 Equities sold off yesterday as last week’s bullish mood was swapped for a more cautious attitude. There was an absence of positive news yesterday so the stories about the health crisis were at the centre of attention, David Madden, market analyst at CMC Markets UK, tells Morning Wire this morning. The Chinese authorises announced the [...]
Covid rule-breakers ‘increasingly likely’ to be fined, says police chief January 12, 2021 Those caught breaking Covid rules are now “increasingly likely” to be fined by the police, London’s top officer has said. Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick said: “Most people are doing the right thing to keep each other safe, but sadly a small minority of people continue to flagrantly ignore the rules, for example by holding [...]
Government’s communications failures can be remedied – if they’re fixed soon January 12, 2021 The Prime Minister’s lockdown announcement last week has left a collective sense of déjà vu and a frustration at seemingly being back to square one ten months into the pandemic. Whilst we are facing an evolved virus, a key component to our fight against the virus has not changed: human behaviour. Rallying behind an approach [...]
Retail sales suffer worst year on record as lockdowns bite January 12, 2021 UK retail sales suffered their worst year on record in 2020 as Covid-19 lockdown measures decimated customer numbers. In-store sales of non-food items — which includes all non-essential retailers — dropped by almost a quarter last year compared to 2019. For 2020 overall, total sales declined 0.3 per cent on the previous year, marking the [...]
Sainsbury’s to enforce masks and shopping alone in Covid crackdown January 11, 2021 Sainsbury’s has become the second British supermarket to ban customers who refuse to wear a face mask amid a crackdown on Covid rulebreakers. The chain said shoppers will be prevented from entering without a face mask, while shopping in groups will also be banned. Sainsbury’s will put trained security guards at the front of stores [...]
United Arab Emirates removed from travel corridor list January 11, 2021 The United Arab Emirates has been removed from the UK’s travel corridor list following an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country. From 4am tomorrow, travellers returning to the UK from the UAE — including Dubai and Abu Dhabi — will need to self-isolate for 10 days. The Department of Transport said [...]
Matt Hancock calls on more businesses to ban those not wearing face coverings January 11, 2021 The health secretary has urged businesses to follow Morrisons’ lead and ban mask flouters, as he refused to rule out tougher restrictions on the horizon. “I applaud the action Morrisons has taken today… That’s the right approach,” Matt Hancock told a Downing Street press briefing, adding: “I want to see all parts of society playing [...]
Morrisons bans mask flouters amid crackdown on Covid rulebreakers January 11, 2021 Morrisons has become the first British supermarket to enforce an immediate ban on customers who refuse to wear face coverings, as the Prime Minister today warned low lockdown compliance would lead to tougher restrictions. From today, shoppers who turn down masks offered by staff will be refused entry from Morrisons unless they are medically exempt. [...]
Exclusive: Shipping boss threatened staff with unpaid leave if they worked from home during lockdown January 11, 2021 The CEO of infrastructure facility provider Infrastrata told colleagues to defy government guidance and work from the office during the last national lockdown, or face unpaid leave. In an email sent to colleagues on 4 November and seen by Morning Wire, CEO John Wood told colleagues that anyone wishing not to come into the office during the lockdown [...]
‘It was never going to happen’: Government faces backlash over 4,000-bed target for London’s Nightingale Hospital January 11, 2021 Health officials have slammed the government for setting a 4,000-bed target for London’s Nightingale Hospital, as the Excel Centre site today opened its doors as a mass vaccination centre following major staff shortages. The temporary hospital was swiftly erected in just two weeks last March to deal with a spiralling number of admissions to intensive [...]