Government outlines workplace rules for UK companies to relax lockdown May 4, 2020 Companies must limit hot desking and introduce protective screens once the UK lockdown eases and people return to offices, a government document says. Staff canteens will stay closed while ministers will push employers to encourage home-working and stagger shift times, the draft document reportedly suggests. The business department has drawn up seven such documents that [...]
Five tests to end UK coronavirus lockdown: Which ones have we met? May 2, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday claimed we are “past the peak and on the downward slope” of the coronavirus outbreak. And he has promised to release a “comprehensive plan” next week that outlines how to end the UK lockdown. “I will be setting out a comprehensive plan next week to explain how we can get [...]
Westminster approves £150m Cavendish Square health hub underneath Oxford Street April 29, 2020 Developers have today been given the green light for a £150m plan to transform Cavendish Square into a subterranean health and wellness hub. Property firm Reef Group has outlined proposals to turn a 1960s car park below the Georgian square in the West End into specialist facilities for the healthcare sector, as well as premium [...]
London pedestrian traffic jumps as UK coronavirus lockdown fatigue sets in April 28, 2020 Pedestrian traffic across the capital jumped last week despite restrictions on movement as UK coronavirus lockdown fatigue began to set in and more people got back to work. In the seven days to 27 April the Central London Streets index was 10.70, down 90 per cent on this time last year but an increase of [...]
Nearly 9,000 coronavirus-related deaths registered in week to 17 April April 28, 2020 Data released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed 8,758 coronavirus-related deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week to 17 April. This was an increase of 40 per cent on the previous week when 6,213 registered deaths mentioned coronavirus. There were 22,351 deaths registered in England and Wales in the [...]
Royal Statistical Society appoints new chief executive April 28, 2020 The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) has appointed former Nesta executive director Stian Westlake as its next chief executive, the organisation announced today. The RSS is the UK’s membership body advocating for the importance of statistics and data. Launched in 1834, it is a professional organisation for statisticians. The economist Thomas Malthus was a founder and [...]
UK hospital coronavirus deaths rise 684 to 19,506 April 24, 2020 UK coronavirus deaths recorded in hospitals rose another 684 today to hit 19,506 in total so far. Department for Health data showed another 5,386 people have tested positive for coronavirus to bring the total to 143,464. It would now take 17 days for coronavirus infections to double, compared to just six days over Easter. Most [...]
UK contact-tracing app launching ‘within weeks’ as RAF begins trials April 24, 2020 The RAF is testing a contact-tracing app which the NHS will launch in the coming weeks, as part of efforts to ease the nationwide lockdown. The contact-tracing app is part of a wider approach to track and test coronavirus. The government plans to recruit 18,000 people, including 3,000 health workers and specialists, to build and [...]
Coronavirus: Transport for London to furlough 7,000 staff April 24, 2020 Tube operator Transport for London (TfL) will put 7,000 of its staff onto the government’s job retention scheme from Monday to cut costs during the coronavirus pandemic. Passenger number on TfL’s services have plummeted in recent weeks due to the coronavirus lockdown, as all but essential workers have taken to working from home. According to [...]
Transport for London ‘in line for Tube bailout’ April 22, 2020 Urban transport operators including Tube operator Transport for London are in line for government bailout as the complete collapse in passenger numbers due to coronavirus raised questions over their survival. The Financial Times reported that Whitehall officials said that emergency funding could be released by the end of the week following negotiations. Passenger numbers have [...]
