Coronavirus: How safe is the post-lockdown commute to work? August 4, 2020 After more than four months of lockdown Londoners are beginning to return to the office as public transport operators take measures to make the once-daily commute as safe as possible from coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave employers “more discretion” from 1 August to bring back their staff if it was safe to do so. [...]
Weekly coronavirus deaths sink to lowest level since March lockdown August 4, 2020 Weekly coronavirus deaths fell more than a quarter in the seven days to 24 July, marking the lowest level since before the lockdown, latest figures showed. England and Wales have now recorded weekly death rates lower than the five-year average for the sixth week in a row, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). [...]
Virgin Media triples losses as pandemic eats into finances August 4, 2020 Virgin Media almost tripled its losses in the three months to 30 June, as the coronavirus crisis dented revenue despite record customer sign-ups. The results Net loss at the Liberty Global-owned firm swelled 285 per cent to £203.9m during the quarter, up from £53m during the same period last year. Revenue declined 3.5 per cent [...]
UK coronavirus: Second wave could be double the size of first August 4, 2020 Reopening schools in September without an effective test, track and isolating system could result in a second wave of coronavirus more than double the size of the UK’s first, according to a new modelling study. Researchers from UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) examined the potential effects of reopening schools [...]
WHO head warns that there may never be ‘silver bullet’ coronavirus vaccine August 3, 2020 The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that there may never be a “silver bullet” in the form of a perfect vaccine for coronavirus, imploring countries to “do it all” to beat the virus. Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to enforce mask-wearing, social [...]
Sewage testing for coronavirus begins across England August 3, 2020 Sewage testing is being rolled out across England today as part of plans to get a “head start” on new outbreaks of coronavirus, following a sharp spike in infections. Early on in the pandemic, scientists discovered that people infected with Covid-19 “shed” the virus in their faeces within hours of contracting the virus. It is [...]
Downing Street admits it could impose M25 quarantine ring August 3, 2020 Plans to introduce a quarantine ring around the M25 to halt travel in and out of London are “within the government’s contain strategy”, Downing Street said today. The admission came as the Prime Minister scrambles to curb a spike in infections across the country. Boris Johnson is said to have held a “war game” session [...]
Sadiq Khan slams ‘unacceptable’ London lockdown plans August 3, 2020 London mayor Sadiq Khan has hit out at Boris Johnson after the Prime Minister reportedly discussed drastic contingency plans to lockdown London in event of a second coronavirus wave without involving City Hall. One of the options discussed by Johnson as part of a “war gaming” session with chancellor Rishi Sunak was using the M25 [...]
UK bolsters vaccine manufacturing capacity with Wockhardt deal August 3, 2020 The government has today taken further steps to bolster its vaccine manufacturing capacity by striking a deal with Indian pharma giant Wockhardt. Under the 18-month long agreement, the Mumbai-listed firm will carry out the ‘fill and finish’ stage of the manufacturing process, which involves dispensing the manufactured vaccine substance into vials ready for it to [...]
UK to distribute millions of 90-minute coronavirus tests August 3, 2020 New 90-minute coronavirus tests will be distributed to care homes and laboratories around the UK from next week, the government announced today. The speedy tests will check for Covid-19 and flu in a boost to ramp up testing capacity before winter arrives, amid fears of a second wave of cases in Britain. Two new tests [...]