1, 2, 3… 4 shots: Fourth Covid vaccine gives protection from Coronavirus ‘over and above’ as Spring booster is called forward May 10, 2022 A new study shared with Morning Wire this morning shows that a fourth Covid-19 jab gives people protection “over and above” compared to those who have had three shots. A team of academics led by the University of Southampton have been tracking a group of people and their levels of antibodies and T cells, both [...]
Markets bracing for tough week: China trade slows as zero-Covid policy has disastrous impact on economy May 9, 2022 With China continuing to pursue its zero-Covid policy the restrictions in Shanghai are having a chilling effect on economic output there, as well as port activity, or rather the lack of it, as container ships continue to sit off the Chinese coast waiting to be unloaded. This morning’s China trade data for April only serves to reinforce [...]
Beergate: Durham police investigating Keir Starmer over alleged lockdown breaches after ‘receipt of significant new information’ May 6, 2022 Keir Starmer is being investigated by Durham Police over the so-called ‘beergate’ lockdown breach in April last year. Durham Constabulary issued a statement on Friday saying it is looking into the alleged rule-breaking after the “receipt of significant new information”. The force previously said they did not think he had broken rules over a gathering [...]
Pandemic far from over in China: Rumours fly Beijing is preparing thousands of new Covid beds May 3, 2022 Beijing is preparing new hospital facilities to deal with a spike in Covid-19 cases. Unofficial reports online say thousands of beds have been prepared in a centralised quarantine centre near the airport, but state media has not confirmed those preparations in what could be an attempt to avoid stoking public fears. A 1,000-bed hospital at [...]
Slack’s technology chief says staff are returning to the office, with flexibility key to hybrid working May 2, 2022 The head of technology at Slack, a messaging platform widely used during the pandemic, has confirmed some of the company’s employees are heading back to the office on a hybrid basis. Cal Henderson made his comments after the firm added almost 60,000 corporate customers during coronavirus, amid a boom of home working, and then hybrid working. On getting [...]
400k out of workforce due to health inequality which could lead to £8bn economic drag April 27, 2022 The government has said tackling health disparities is a “priority’, after a new report revealed Illness and covid has driven an estimated 400,000 people from the workforce, leading to a possible £8bn drag on the economy. 1m workers are missing from the workers from before the pandemic, with 400,00 due to illness, including long-Covid, according [...]
Covid hotels cost taxpayer £400m as government looks to recoup costs on wasted PPE April 21, 2022 Covid hotels to house people coming into the UK during the pandemic cost £400m, and it is not clear if they were effective, according to a new report by a watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) released a study this week, claiming it was unknown whether they stopped new variants from entering the country and [...]
Report warns Covid travel rules imposed without ‘overall assessment’ April 21, 2022 Covid-induced restrictions on international travel were imposed in England without an “overall assessment” of their impact, according to a report released today. The National Audit Office (NAO) said there was no system put in place by the government to measure the success of self-isolation, passenger control forms and the quarantine hotels. The watchdog also reported [...]
Tesla: Workers in Shanghai must sleep on factory floor as China restarts production in 600 companies amid draconian Covid measures April 19, 2022 Shanghai’s Tesla factory workers have to sleep on the floor of the factory, as Elon Musk’s company restarts production and China continues a draconian covid policy. With hundreds of firms restarting operations across China, workers have to abide by a strict policy of living on site, in line with the country’s ‘closed loop’ restrictions, according [...]
Covid-19 cases fall as NHS continues to struggle April 15, 2022 The number of people infected with Covid-19 across the UK dropped ten per cent last week, according to the Office for National Statistics.