An Italian (stuck) abroad: ‘The hardest part was telling my family’ December 22, 2020 Fortunato Benavoli, 39, is a London-based make-up artist. Born in Italy, he has lived in London for 12 years. After booking flights following the government’s promises about Christmas, he is now spending the day alone in his London flat, far away from hs family. He told us his about his frustration with the way the [...]
D&D owner: Tax supermarkets to bail out bars and restaurants December 21, 2020 In his second City A.M. column, D&D London CEO and cofounder Des Gunewardena reflects on the “horror show” of the last week, asks the government to consider a Covid-tax to help struggling restaurants, and offers his empty venues up as Covid vaccination stations. We have had some bad weeks during this pandemic, but last week [...]
Retailers feel Tier 4 pain as footfall drops 40 per cent December 21, 2020 Retail footfall plunged by 40 per cent in the areas of England put under Tier 4 restrictions such as London, laying bare the impact of the restrictions on shop-owners during the crucial Christmas period. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced London and parts of the south and south east of England would go into [...]
Save Christmas and beat Tier 4 with these at-home dining options December 19, 2020 The announcement of Tier 4 has sent Christmas plans into chaos, with families up and down the country now unsure where and with whom they will be able to spend the big day. If you’ve now found yourself at a loss in the run-up to 25 December, here are some amazing home delivery options, many [...]
Sadiq Khan calls on government to release daily vaccination data December 18, 2020 Sadiq Khan has urged the health secretary to release daily data detailing uptake of the coronavirus vaccine across the UK, in an effort to build public awareness and trust in Britain’s largest ever vaccination programme. In a letter to Matt Hancock, the mayor of London called for daily reporting on the vaccine programme echoing infection [...]
Covid: London now has highest proportion of positive tests in the UK December 18, 2020 The number of people testing positive for coronavirus has risen sharply in London, as the Prime Minister faces mounting pressure to U-turn on plans to lift restrictions over Christmas. London is now tied with the East Midlands as having the highest proportion of positive Covid tests in the UK, after reporting a sharp spike in [...]
Post-Christmas lockdown for Northern Ireland December 18, 2020 Northern Ireland will enter a strict six-week lockdown from Boxing Day. Health Minister Robin Swann said the lockdown is “in large part” the same as “the sustained lockdown” of last March. Non-essential shops will close after Christmas Eve, and close-contact services such as hairdressers and beauticians will have to shut. Pubs, cafés and restaurants will [...]
London and southeast in Tier 3: What are the rules? December 17, 2020 Most of the southeast of England is set to join London in Tier 3 from midnight on Friday, as the government scrambles to contain a sharp spike in coronavirus cases. The move will see Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Peterborough, and the whole of Hertfordshire move into the highest level of restrictions from 0.01am on Saturday. It [...]
Breaking: Matt Hancock extends Tier 3 to most of southeast England December 17, 2020 The health secretary has extended Tier 3 to almost all of the southeast of England following a huge surge in cases, thought to be the result of a new coronavirus mutation. Speaking in the Commons, Matt Hancock said: “In the last week hospital admissions are up by nearly half. It is therefore necessary to apply [...]
Public must self-isolate for five days before Christmas travel, says PM December 16, 2020 Boris Johnson has urged the public to self-isolate for five days before visiting friends and family over Christmas, as the Prime Minister refused to U-turn on plans to relax coronavirus restrictions. “A smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas, and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas,” Johnson told a Downing Street press [...]