Coronavirus: ‘Zero prospect’ of ban on travel in and out of London, says Downing Street March 19, 2020 Downing Street has said there is “zero prospect” of a ban on travel in and out of London, as part of efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus. This morning Transport for London confirmed it was shutting 40 Tube stations. It will also stop Night Tube operations and close the Waterloo & City Line from [...]
Coronavirus: UK schools will shut from Friday ‘until further notice’ March 18, 2020 UK schools will be shut from Friday afternoon “until further notice”, the education secretary Gavin Williamson has confirmed. Schools will remain open for children of key workers and those who are “vulnerable”, he told the Commons today, saying the situation had changed sufficiently that they could no longer remain open. “The spike of the virus [...]
Coronavirus: Government poised to impose London-only restrictions March 18, 2020 Boris Johnson has indicated that Londoners should brace themselves for capital-specific restrictions, in the hope of flattening the curve of the coronavirus outbreak. Multiple sources have said measures including restricting travel and shutting all but essential shops and services in line with measures seen in other European capitals, could be brought in as early as [...]
Coronavirus: Schools in Scotland and Wales to close March 18, 2020 Nicola Sturgeon has announced that schools in Scotland will close in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Schools will be shut from Friday and may not open after the Easter break, and could stay closed for the whole of the summer term, the First Minister said. Sturgeon said Holyrood was still working out what this meant [...]
Coronavirus: Prime Minister pledges legislative protection for Britain’s renters March 18, 2020 The Prime Minister has said private renters will receive legislative support to protect them from evictions as a result of the coronavirus outbreak during a sober and subdued PMQs. With just a handful of MPs in the Chamber, the leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn took a less adversarial tone in his questioning, which focused [...]
Coronavirus: Government pledges ‘whatever it takes’ to help British businesses March 17, 2020 The government has pledged to do “whatever it takes” to support a greater number of British businesses and individuals as the coronavirus outbreak causes major economic disruption. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said government would “stand behind businesses small and large”, pledging government-backed and guaranteed loans “to get through this”. The loan package totalled £330bn, equivalent to [...]
Brexit talks scrapped as coronavirus escalates March 17, 2020 The second round of trade talks between the UK and the EU have been cancelled in light of the escalating coronavirus outbreak. Negotiating teams led by David Frost on the UK’s side and Michel Barnier on the EU’s were due to meet in London tomorrow to continue to thrash out a deal to set the [...]
Coronavirus: Elderly should stay away from Mother’s Day lunch March 17, 2020 The over-70s should avoid Mother’s Day lunch with their children and grandchildren the chief scientific adviser has said today, as he warns that 20,000 coronavirus-related deaths would be “a good outcome”. Sir Patrick Vallance, who has been one of the two chief medical experts to appear alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson during recent press conferences, [...]
Coronavirus: Londoners urged to pay attention as Brits told to work from home March 16, 2020 Londoners have been urged to pay “special attention” to new social distancing measures, including working from home and “shielding” of at-risk groups, as coronavirus begins to peak in the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Britons should “start working from home where they possibly can,” and should avoid pubs, restaurants and other social environments. [...]
Coronavirus: Sunak to head new economic and business response committee March 16, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked his chancellor Rishi Sunak to head up a new committee specifically dealing with the economic fall-out of the coronavirus. The economic and business response committee will consider the impact of Covid-19 as it continues to spread throughout the world, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed this morning. Business secretary [...]
