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COVID-19 – Weekly Round-Up

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COVID-19 – Weekly Round-Up COVID-19 – Weekly Round-up Friday 17 July 2020 Heart of London Business Alliance is committed to ensuring our members receive the support they need while the situation in relation to COVID-19 is fast-changing. Our Daily Bulletin provides you with an update on the important announcements and guidance from the Government. In addition, it is recommended that our members monitor the GOV.UK website for guidance regarding COVID-19. Together with our local Member of Parliament, Nickie Aiken, Heart of London will continue to lobby Government for support for our members and your employees during this difficult time. Headlines • This week, the Prime Minister announced a further series of measures to relax coronavirus restrictions throughout the rest of the year. • The Health Secretary announced the Health Secretary outlined plans to make face coverings mandatory in shops and supermarkets from 24 July. • Further easing of lockdown measures have also been announced by the devolved administrations. Prime Minister aims for return to “significant normality” by Christmas 17th July: In a wide-ranging press conference , Boris Johnson announced a number of measures to prepare the NHS for a potential second wave of Covid-19,and further relax coronavirus restrictions throughout the rest of the year. In the speech, given alongside Dido Harding, Chair of NHS Improvement, Boris Johnson expressed his hope that, subject to the success of regulations in controlling the virus, the UK could return to “significant normality” by November “at the earliest”, and possibly by Christmas Further measures to tackle the virus include: • An additional £3 billion of funding for the NHS to prepare for a second wave of Covid-19 cases this winter, as well as further funds for the devolved nations; • The UK’s “biggest flu vaccination programme in history”, with expanded eligibility, to ease the burden on the NHS from other infections; and • Additional powers for local councils to implement and enforce localised lockdowns. However, additional measures to further relax the Covid-19 restrictions include: • From August 1st, employers will be given more discretion on whether staff can return to the office or continue working from home; • Further from August 1st , most leisure settings, including ice rinks and casinos, as well as close contact services such as beauticians, can resume trade; • From October, there is a possibility that fans could return to stadiums for sport events, and conferences and other events could recommence; and • Nightclubs and soft play areas will remain closed until further notice. Page 1 of 3 The measures are aimed at tackling fears of an uptick in Covid-19 cases this autumn whilst encouraging economic growth following the release of lower than projected GDP figures in May. Health Secretary makes face coverings mandatory 14th July : On Tuesday, the Health Secretary outlined plans to make face coverings mandatory in shops and supermarkets from 24 July. In a speech in the House of Commons, Matt Hancock cited the success of similar rules on public transport and in NHS settings in giving people confidence to take public transport and go to hospital safely. People who do not wear a face covering in these settings will face a fine of up to £100. Children under 11 and people with certain disabilities will be exempt. Police will have formal enforcement powers to issue fines, although Hancock stressed that this is a last resort. The Welsh Government has also announced that from 27 July, all passengers travelling on public transport in Wales will also be required to wear a mask. This follows weeks of speculation about the Government’s policy on face masks, and criticism of mixed messages given to the general public. The new regulations are intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 as businesses reopen and people to return to work. Urgent review ordered into PHE Covid-19 death figures 17th July: Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health, has ordered an urgent review into Public Health England’s Covid-19 death statistics, after confirmation that the body may have been recording all deaths following positive tests as Covid-19 deaths. It is believed that this has contributed to an over exaggeration of UK deaths from Covid-19, as many people who have tested positive are thought to have died from other causes at a later date. There is no agreed guidance from the WHO on counting deaths from Covid-19.. Devolved nations reopen their economies 13th July: This week the Scottish and Welsh Governments announced the further easing of lockdown restrictions, following England’s example in recent weeks. On 13 July, the Scottish Government announced new guidance to support the safe reopening of small businesses in a Covid- secure manner. In a move to boost the reopening of the tourism sector, on 11 July, the Welsh First Minister, Mark Drakeford, encouraged people to visit Wales. The First Minister has previously stated that tourist accommodation with shared facilities, such as camping sites, can prepare to open from 25 July. Track and trace continues to monitor local outbreaks 12th July: Lockdown measures were reintroduced in the Lancashire area of Blackburn with Darwen following a spike in cases locally. A further outbreak was detected on a farm in Herefordshire, where up to 200 workers have been instructed to self-isolate. The UK’s first regional lockdown was imposed on Leicester last week. These targeted approaches highlight the importance of the Government’s test, track and trace efforts. Writing in The Telegraph this Sunday, the Health Secretary stated that the Government was successfully identifying and containing over a hundred outbreaks a week, most of which do not make national headlines. Page 2 of 3 Devolved Nations • 16th July: The Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Frank Atherton has confirmed that people in Wales who are shielding will no longer need to do so after 16 August. This will impact over 130,000 people in Wales who have been shielding since the start of the pandemic. • 16th July: A Covid-19 cluster was identified in the Limavady area of Northern Ireland by the nation’s Public Health Agency linked to a gathering at a private residence. A test and trace operation is underway. • 9th July: The Scottish Government announced a £100 million package of employment support and training, focusing on supporting younger people in particular. This also saw the extension of Fair Start Scotland, the Scottish employment support service, by a further two years to March 2023. Other news • 14th July: ONS Data has shown a small increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 1.8% in May, lower than the 5% increase predicted by a number of economists. This follows a fall in GDP of almost 25% in April. Levels of production, services and construction remain well below their February 2020 levels. Further ONS data released on Thursday indicates a total of 649,000 job losses since the start of the pandemic. • 14th July: A study by the Academy of Medical Sciences, commissioned by the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, has warned that the UK must begin “intense preparations” for a second wave of COVID-19 that could, under a worst case scenario, result in a further 120,000 hospital patient fatalities from September 2020 to June next year. • 10th July: The UK Government has formally rejected an offer to join the European Union’s COVID-19 vaccine programme due to concerns over “costly delays.” Government sources have said that signing up to the scheme could have potentially delayed the rollout of a vaccine by six months. Contact [email protected] should you have any queries. Page 3 of 3 .
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