Vomiting bug: Sudden rise in Norovirus cases prompts health body to issue warning July 16, 2021 Public Health England (PHE) today reported an unexpected rise in norovirus cases, warning that the easing of lockdown measures may cause an out-of-season increase in cases. PHE said there had been an uptick in outbreaks in recent weeks to levels higher than expected in summer months. Cases of the winter bug mostly stemmed from educational [...]
Exclusive: ‘Pull the plug on test and trace and delete the app’, says Pimlico Plumbers chief Charlie Mullins July 16, 2021 This week, more than half a million people were pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app, the highest figures ever. A total of 520,194 notifications were sent out, informing the app’s users that they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. People must isolate for 10 days, leading [...]
Face mask mandate to stay for airports and flights July 16, 2021 Travellers will still be required to wear face masks after English legal restrictions ease, UK airports and airlines said in a joint statement today. Passengers who refuse to wear a mask will be denied boarding for both domestic and international flights. Children and those with medical reasons preventing them from wearing a mask will continue [...]
ONS update: One in 95 people in England had Covid last week July 16, 2021 An estimated one in 95 people in England tested positive for Covid-19 in the week up to 10 July, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In yet another sign that Covid cases are multiplying in the UK, the ONS estimates that 577,700 people in England had Covid last week [...]
Corona Impact Series: The Walthamstow bakery that was saved by quick thinking and simple tech July 16, 2021 In this series, City A.M. looks at the financial and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic on a range of small and medium-sized businesses across London. READ THE ENTIRE SERIES HERE TODAY BREAD is an artisan bakery based in East London, founded in 2013 from a small flat in Walthamstow. The bakery was the passion project of Alexandre Bettler, who [...]
Pingdemic shutdown: No industry untouched by NHS Test and Trace havoc July 16, 2021 Staffing shortages have turned manufacturing, bin collections, retail, transport and healthcare upside down as the NHS Test and Trace app “pinged” more than half a million people into isolation last week. The contact tracing app’s sensitivity is now under review after reports that the app is “pinging wrong” and Brits are being told to self-isolate [...]
Al fresco dining to become a High Street fixture while takeaway pints are extended for a year July 16, 2021 Al fresco dining is set to become a fixture of the high street and takeaway pints will continue for another year as part of a Government strategy to help England’s pubs, bars and restaurants recover from the pandemic. Pavement licences are to be extended and made permanent to allow more customers to eat outside under [...]
Goldman Sachs boss champions post-Brexit London and expects 70 per cent of staff back in office July 16, 2021 Goldman Sachs boss Richard Gnodde said the company was as committed to its London head office as ever, buoyed by his belief that the UK capital will remain dominant as a world-leading financial centre post-Brexit. “For us we’ve been very clear, the centre of gravity for our workforce is our buildings, and in London it [...]
Small shops face £1.7bn debt, says report by ex-boss of Iceland July 16, 2021 Small shops are struggling under £1.7bn debt, the former retail chief of Iceland, has warned. Independent businesses’ borrowing increased fourfold during the pandemic, according to the report. While the money borrowed has allowed small shops to survive, the task of paying back the loans still looms over them, said Bill Grimsey, the author of the [...]
France on cusp of being moved to ‘red list’ over South African variant fears July 16, 2021 France is reportedly on the cusp of being moved to the travel “red list” amid growing fears over the prevalence of the so-called South African variant of Covid-19. Ministers discussed taking the measure during Wednesday’s review of the travel list system, the Telegraph reported. Officials have been asked to “interrogate” the data coming out of [...]