Coronavirus roadmap: When will England’s lockdown end? July 18, 2020 Boris Johnson has outlined a roadmap for the end of England’s lockdown, giving hope that coronavirus social distancing could end before Christmas. Johnson changed tack on government guidance to work from home where possible in a speech on 17 July. Instead employers will be asked to discuss with employees whether and how they can safely [...]
The City View: Victoria Scholar on rising prices, unemployment and retail sales data; and XR cause Lloyd’s of London HQ shutdown April 12, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Victoria Scholar, Head of Investment at Interactive Investor. They go through some of the week’s economics data on GDP, unemployment, retail sales, and talk trading updates. They discuss the latest from ASOS, Deliveroo, and EasyJet: ASOS is facing a raft of headwinds, as investors lose confidence in the online retailer; [...]
‘All over by June’ under Boris Johnson’s roadmap for leaving lockdown February 22, 2021 All Covid restrictions will be lifted by late June under the Prime Minister’s roadmap for exiting lockdown, as the government grows increasingly confident in the UK’s vaccine rollout. Announcing the timeline in the Commons, Boris Johnson said that “all of the legal limits on social contact can be removed no earlier than 21 June” in [...]
Germany to enter four-week lockdown from November October 28, 2020 Germany will enter a four-week lockdown from 2 November, Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed today. Pubs, bars and restaurants across the country will shut for one month, while all inter-household mixing will be banned. Gyms, cinemas and theatres will also shutter for four weeks, as Merkel scrambles to contain a second wave sweeping across the nation. [...]
Health and wealth: ‘fit-tech’ steps up the pace May 7, 2020 Fitness is far from an obvious winner from government instructions to ‘stay home’. Gyms are firmly closed. People making the most of the ‘one form of exercise’ allowed by the government are the only people in parks. In these inauspicious circumstances, though, there is heightened awareness of personal fitness. In the early days of lockdown, [...]
Ten Entertainment announces bowling alley reopening date July 21, 2020 Ten Entertainment announced this morning that it plans to reopen its bowling alleys in England on 1 August. The firm said its 39 Tenpin bowling alleys in England, which represent 91 per cent of group turnover, were ready to open with social distancing measures in place. Furloughed staff will return to work after taking a [...]
Calls for a circuit breaker are out of date, misguided, and not grounded in science October 20, 2020 The politicians supporting a circuit breaker lockdown, like the one due to come into effect in Wales on Friday, say they are “following the science”. They appear to be referring to a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) document dated 21 September. If so, it’s science, Jim, but not as hard as we know it. [...]
Sports Direct hikes prices after store closures amid coronavirus crisis March 24, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has reportedly hiked the price of some sports equipment by as much as 50 per cent amid the coronavirus crisis. The retailer has increased the price of exercise equipment such as skipping ropes and weights, according to documents seen by the Press Association. It comes on the same day Sports Direct [...]
London to enter Tier 2 next Wednesday November 26, 2020 London will return to Tier 2 when England’s national lockdown lifts next Wednesday, the government has announced. Liverpool will join the capital on “high alert” on 2 December, while Manchester, Lancashire, Blackpool, Kent and Birmingham will enter Tier 3. Just three regions — the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly — will [...]
Square Mile comes back to life as second lockdown ends December 2, 2020 As London emerges from the second lockdown there are tentative signs that life is returning to the City. London today entered Tier 2, representing a slight easing of lockdown restrictions, just as news of the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine approval landed in the Square Mile. City leaders breathe a sigh of relief Gyms, barbers and beauty salons [...]