PM to make lockdown decision by Christmas Eve December 21, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement in the next 48 hours on whether to impose "circuit-breaker" restrictions in England to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
Biden to focus on testing and vaccines instead of lockdowns this winter December 21, 2021 US President Joe Biden reportedly has no intention of pushing for a lockdown this winter, despite the reintroduction of restrictions across Europe.
Covid-19: South Africa records fall in cases for third day in a row and fewer hospital admissions December 21, 2021 The number of daily Covid cases in South Africa have fallen for the third day in a row, while hospital admissions also dropped in the country where the Omicron variant was first detected one month ago. While cases climb in both the UK and France, which shut its borders to Brits last week, there is hope that the latest [...]
Sunak’s announces £30m boost for theatres and museums to buffer Omicron cancellations December 21, 2021 Rishi Sunak has announced this afternoon that there will be £1bn in support for businesses most impacted by Omicron across the UK, including £30m further funding through the Culture Recovery Fund to help support theatres and museums. The government will be allowing more cultural organisations in England to apply for support during the winter, and [...]
Money in COVID Times: A perfect storm forming for central banks? December 21, 2021 | City Talk The COVID-19 crisis is but the latest episode in a drama docuseries on economics depicting a world in which unorthodox monetary policy is becoming the norm rather than the exception. How have central banks become the de facto lender and market maker of last resort in a financial market ecosystem in which market-based finance has [...]
Home transactions up in November as eyes turn to Omicron’s impact on market December 21, 2021 Transaction numbers gained pace in November, up 24.3 per cent on the previous month, following an initial dip after the end of the stamp duty holiday. According to the latest HMRC data, there were 96,290 housing transactions in November, 16.4 per cent lower than November 2020, but up on the prior month. The figure for [...]
Hospitality sector ‘bleeding out’ with looming £1.5bn Christmas Eve rent bill December 21, 2021 A £1.5bn rent bill and the sudden drop in seasonal shopping means the hospitality sector faces a flood of bankruptcies in the new year, according to reports. The £1.5bn payment for rent is due on Christmas Eve, according to the Telegraph, which first reported the news. But a third of pubs, bars and restaurants have [...]
New lockdown measures are a balance between ‘protecting lives and livelihoods’ says government minister December 21, 2021 Cabinet minister Steve Barclay, told BBC Breakfast this morning, "there is a balance to be struck between protecting lives and livelihoods", after Boris Johnson refused from confirm any new measures yesterday evening, but said “we will rule nothing out”.
As Omicron cases surge, question of ‘when, rather than if’ Covid new restrictions are coming December 21, 2021 As Covid infections surge across London and the rest of the UK, healthcare leaders have said it is now a question of “when, rather than if” new restrictions will be enforced. NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has suggested the introduction of stricter measures is inevitable amid the rapid spread of coronavirus fuelled by the [...]
UK reports 8,044 cases of Omicron variant, bringing total to over 45k infections December 20, 2021 Another 91,743 Covid cases have been reported in the UK today, including 8,044 cases of the Omicron variant. The number of cases is almost 9,000 higher than yesterday, bucking a trend where Monday’s figure is normally lower due to a delay in data reporting across the weekend. The total number of Omicron cases in the [...]