Covid-hit China: What is Britain and the rest of the world doing on travel restrictions? January 4, 2023 Covid-19 cases have shot through the roof in China – but Beijing premier Xi Jingping is still dead set on removing the zero-Covid policy, including removing restrictions on travel. Countries across the world are being forced to once again grapple with what restrictions to put in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and any [...]
Transport secretary: Covid-positive China arrivals will not have to isolate January 3, 2023 Transport secretary Mark Harper has confirmed the UK will not require Covid-positive arrivals from China to quarantine despite mounting calls from the Health Security Agency to identify and test cases. The transport secretary told LBC today that travellers from China will not be forced to isolate and said the policy to test arrivals was put [...]
Australia welcome Novak Djokovic with open arms a year after deporting tennis star January 2, 2023 He may have been kicked out of the country 12 months ago but Australia gave Novak Djokovic a warm welcome on his return to tennis Down Under at the Adelaide International on Monday. The crowd chanted his name as he made his way out onto court and overwhelmingly supported him and doubles partner Vasek Pospisil [...]
Ben Wallace: UK approach to China travel ‘under review’ amid Covid concerns December 29, 2022 The possibility of the UK introducing restrictions for travellers from China is “under review”, as the nation prepares to open up overseas travel, the UK defence secretary has said. China has announced plans to ditch its Covid-zero policy and will reopen its borders in January. The US will require all arrivals from China to provide [...]
Lawyers for Covid contract firm Randox pile pressure on MPs over ‘misleading’ report December 29, 2022 Lawyers for a firm paid hundreds of millions of pounds for Covid-19 testing contracts have stepped up pressure on an influential Commons committee over a “misleading” report. The Public Accounts Committee has received a series of legal letters from Randox Laboratories’ lawyers Schillings, over the content of its report. Although some of the correspondence has [...]
One Chinese province faces a MILLION new Covid-19 cases every day December 25, 2022 China’s Zhejiang, a big industrial province near Shanghai, is battling around a million new daily COVID-19 infections, a number expected to double in the days ahead, the provincial government said on Sunday. Despite a record surge of cases nationwide, China reported no COVID deaths on the mainland for the five days through Saturday, the Chinese [...]
About time too: Hong Kong set to reopen border with mainland China December 24, 2022 Hong Kong’s leader says China has agreed to a reopening of the city’s border with the mainland, which has been largely closed by pandemic restrictions, and that he is aiming for a mid-January start. Chief executive John Lee, returning from a trip to Beijing where he met President Xi Jinping and other officials, told reporters [...]
UK inks 10-year deal with Moderna to produce 250m vaccines in event of another pandemic December 23, 2022 The UK government has signed a 10-year deal with Moderna to produce upwards of 250m vaccines a year in the event of a pandemic. The investment will give NHS patients access to UK-made mRNA vaccines while a new innovation and technology centre will be created, with 150 highly skilled jobs. In a major boost for [...]
Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group agrees £340m debt terms with lender December 22, 2022 The Restaurant Group has announced an amendment and extension of its debt facilities, with a revised £340m package. On Thursday, the owner of the Wagamama and Frankie & Benny’s brands said the new deal comprised of a £220m term loan facility and a £120m revolving credit facility with its existing lenders. The new terms represented [...]
China: Quiet trading floors and hampered supply chains as Covid-19 spreads December 19, 2022 Covid-19 is sweeping though China’s capital city according to reports, after strict measures were suddenly removed earlier this month. The virus has quietened trading floors in Beijing and is also spreading fast in the financial hub of Shanghai, according to a Reuters report. Stock trading volume has fallen in the last week, with most currency [...]