Volunteers ‘to be deliberately infected with Covid-19’ in UK vaccine trials September 24, 2020 Britain is reportedly planning to host clinical trials where volunteers are deliberately infected with Covid-19 to test the effectiveness of potential vaccines. So-called challenge trials are expected to begin at a quarantine facility in London in January, the Financial Times reported, citing people involved with the project. The government said it was working with partners [...]
Action on climate speaks louder than words, but communicating that action is also key September 24, 2020 Rather than being overshadowed by the pandemic, if anything Climate Week in New York — which began on Monday — has been amplified by the focus on building back greener and fairer. This is mirrored by more and more businesses making Net Zero commitments — PwC being among the organisations to announce one in recent [...]
The travel industry will not survive without a radical U-turn September 24, 2020 The tourism and outbound travel industries are no strangers to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the globe, international and domestic travel has been brought to its knees by the far-reaching impacts of coronavirus, and the ramifications are no clearer than in the United Kingdom. In the last month alone, we have seen the [...]
Daily coronavirus cases hit highest level since 1 May September 23, 2020 There were 6,178 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK today, the highest figure since 1 May, government data showed. The new figure is roughly a quarter higher than yesterday, when there were 4,926 cases, the Department of Health and Social Care said. There were also 37 new deaths from the disease, which is [...]
HSBC, Citi, Goldman and Deutsche Bank pause plans to return to office September 23, 2020 Banks have rushed to pause plans for staff to return to their UK offices following fresh government guidance on coronavirus. Deutsche Bank and Citigroup have also encouraged staff to return to work remotely amid concerns over rising Covid-19 cases. Read more: City firms begin to send workers home after new government rules The banks’ changes [...]
The “homebody economy” – investing in your digital back yard September 23, 2020 | City Talk It is clear that UK shares are unloved. No likes, no shares, no new friend requests. The level of gloom surrounding this market is remarkable even amongst UK based investors, who, you might think, should feel more comfortable investing here. This is not just pandemic queasiness. Although the UK economy is service-led to some extent, [...]
Ten Entertainment swings to loss as pandemic gutters sales September 23, 2020 Bowling alley chain Ten Entertainment swung to a loss in the first half of 2020 after a nationwide lockdown during the coronavirus crisis slashed revenue in half. The results Revenue slumped 46 per cent to £22.5m in the six months to 28 June, down from £41.4m in the same period last year. The group booked [...]
Green shoots of recovery in the IPO market September 23, 2020 | City Talk IPOs of all shapes and sizes were understandably shelved by the turmoil in global markets in the first half of the year. It would be a brave company that would launch their newly-listed firm into a global stock market that was in the midst of its biggest and most dramatic rout in years. It is [...]
Skating on thin ice: Covid-19 reveals the financial fragility of the self-employed September 23, 2020 Despite the sheer unpredictability and overwhelming nature of the coronavirus outbreak, there have been some positive outcomes since the UK went into lockdown, from the value and resilience of the National Health Service to the revelation that many businesses are able to continue as normal with employees working from home. But the pandemic has undoubtedly [...]
Incentives are a better way to tackle Covid-19 than blanket lockdowns September 23, 2020 A great deal of government policy during the Covid crisis has involved regulation. Given a choice, economists usually prefer to use incentives. Altering the relative costs and benefits of an action is a well-established way to alter behaviour. Perhaps the government has been listening. A big stick will now be waved at people who fail [...]