That’s all from the UK blog for today - you can continue following our coronavirus coverage over on the global live blog.
As always, thanks to everyone for reading along, sending in your thoughts and your comments.
Summary
Here is a quick recap of today’s developments:
- Government will pay two-thirds of staff wages if businesses forced to shut in lockdown areas. The government will pay two-thirds of the wages of staff in pubs, restaurants and other businesses if they are forced to close under new coronavirus restrictions, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced.
-
Edinburgh Woollen Mill on verge of collapse with 24,000 jobs at risk. High street fashion chain Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM), which owns Peacocks and Jaeger, is close to collapse, with 24,000 jobs in the balance, according to documents filed with the High Court.
- A further 13,864 Covid-19 cases confirmed in the UK. A further 13,864 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the UK, along with 87 more deaths.
- Care homes in England fear new Covid-19 cases as 90% of test results delayed. Nearly nine out of 10 Covid-19 tests taken under the system used by care homes in England were returned after the government’s 48-hour target in September, official figures reveal.
- Infection rate in England doubles within a week: ONS. There were an average of 17,200 new cases per day of Covid-19 in private households in England between 25 September and 1 October, according to the Office for National Statistics. This is up from an estimated 8,400 new cases per day from 18 to 24 September.
- Sadiq Khan says ‘highly likely’ London will face new restrictions soon. The Mayor of London said it was “highly likely” London would face new stricter Covid restrictions soon - “we are at a very serious tipping point. The virus is accelerating in every part of London”.
- Economic recovery slowed in August despite Eat Out to Help Out. The pace of the UK’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis has slowed considerably and is far below what experts had hoped for, new figures show.
- New shielding plans considered for hotspots as cases rise. Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people living in coronavirus hotspots could be told to shield this winter under plans reportedly being considered by the government as infections continue to soar.
Nottingham’s weekly rate of new Covid-19 cases has climbed even higher and has now topped 750 cases per 100,000 people, the latest data shows.
A total of 2,532 new cases were recorded in Nottingham in the seven days to 6 October - the equivalent of 760.6 cases per 100,000 people.
It is an enormous leap from 527 new cases in the previous seven days (the week to 29 September), or 158.3 per 100,000 people.
Nottingham remains well ahead of the area with the second highest rate in England, Knowsley, which is now on 657.6 cases per 100,000.
All figures are based on Public Health England data published on Friday afternoon.
Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband has criticised the government’s new job support measures saying a number of businesses will still struggle.
Rishi Sunak has been forced into the principle of supporting shut-down businesses. But there are massive holes in the new safety net, including for businesses forced to shut in all but name like weddings, theatre, cinemas, events and many suppliers. It’s not good enough.
Rishi Sunak has been forced into the principle of supporting shut-down businesses. But there are massive holes in the new safety net, including for businesses forced to shut in all but name like weddings, theatre, cinemas, events and many suppliers. It's not good enough.
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) October 9, 2020
A further 13,864 Covid-19 cases confirmed in the UK
As of 9am on Friday, there had been a further 13,864 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 575,679.
The government also said a further 87 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Friday. This brings the UK total to 42,679.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 58,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Figures also show there were 3,090 Covid-19 patients in hospital in England as of Friday, up from 2,088 a week ago, while 367 Covid-19 hospital patients were in ventilation beds, up from 310 a week ago.
A total of 491 patients with confirmed Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals in England on Wednesday, compared with 328 a week earlier.
A widely circulated open letter criticising strict lockdown measures and advocating for a herd immunity strategy has a number of fake names among its “medical” signatories, leading to accusations it falsely represents scientific support for the controversial position.
Sky News found dozens of fake names on the list of medical signatories of the Great Barrington declaration. These included Dr I P Freely, Dr Person Fakename and Dr Johnny Bananas.
Others included Dr Mike Rotch, a urology consultant at Springfield general hospital in the US – a reference to a gag in The Simpsons.
Another signatory was Dr Harold Shipman, a general practitioner in the UK who is believed to be the most prolific serial killer in modern history. Other famous names included Dominic Cummings, who is described as “PhD Durham Univercity”.
Sky News also found 18 self-declared homeopaths listed on the open letter as medical practitioners, despite the fact that homeopathy has no scientific underpinning or clinical evidence to support its use.
Prof Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said it reminded him of “the messaging used to undermine public health policies on harmful substances, such as tobacco”.
Leaving aside the powerful arguments against this declaration on grounds of science and feasibility, we have consistent evidence that a clear majority of the British public support necessary measures to reduce the spread of the virus or would go even further.
Yet the campaign behind this declaration promotes a completely different picture.
The letter is titled the Great Barrington declaration after the US town where it was written, was initiated by Prof Martin Kulldorff, Prof Jay Bhattacharya and Prof Sunetra Gupta.
It calls for younger and less vulnerable people to be allowed catch Covid-19 to build up herd immunity, while “focused protection” is concentrated on the most at risk.
Bhattacharya, professor of medicine of Stanford University, told Sky News:
We do not have the resources to audit each signature, especially given the incredible interest that the Great Barrington declaration has drawn. It is unfortunate that some people have abused our trust by adding false names, but I suppose it is inevitable.
Still, given the volume of correspondence I have received from medical and public health professionals, as well as scientists and epidemiologists, it is clear that a very large number of experts resonate with the message of the declaration and its call for a focused protection policy.
Updated
Our Scotland correspondent Libby Brooks reports from Glasgow where regulars are bracing themselves for a 16-day shutdown of pubs across central Scotland.
People have got to live,” said Raymond McAllister, sitting with two pals in the cosy wood-panelled bar of the Lismore, Partick, “and pubs are doing a good job of sticking to the guidelines. I feel 95% safer in here than I do walking through a supermarket.”
“I know it’s difficult and the government’s just going by what the experts tell them,” said the 65-year-old heavy-goods driver. “But it seems a bit hypocritical when they say you can sell coffee but not alcohol. Nothing’s straightforward.”
Many raised the obvious concern that a complete closure of establishments such as this one would only push people to have more prohibited house parties. They also said it would cut off essential social contact, especially for older customers. “It’s pensioners’ paradise here on a Tuesday afternoon,” said one.
“It’s bad,” said Stewart Anderson, 69, sipping a pint of Guinness at a pavement trestle table. “Three of us come here every day to sit outside. I live on my own, so I’ll just sit in the house. At least I’ve got a garden.”
Updated
The first minister of Wales has responded after the US president, Donald Trump, retweeted criticism of plans for rolling lockdowns in the country this winter.
The Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham tweeted “Your future under Biden: ‘Rolling lockdowns’ will become norm in Wales” along with a link to a BBC News article on 7 October.
In the article, Wales’s chief medical officer, Dr Frank Atherton, was quoted as saying that rolling lockdowns could take place in the country over the winter to control the spread of Covid-19.
The first minister, Mark Drakeford, was asked to comment on Trump’s retweet during the Welsh government’s coronavirus press conference on Friday.
I think the tweet that the president retweeted said that if Joe Biden were to be elected, then the United States could look like Wales.
There are very, very many people in the United States who would be absolutely delighted if they had the levels of coronavirus that we have over there, if they had the sort of health service that we have available here over there, and if they had the sort of government that conducts business on behalf of their population in the orderly and careful way that we do on behalf of the Welsh population.
So I think many people will have read that tweet and be thinking to themselves, ‘If only that could be true.’
Atherton previously told BBC Radio Wales that the country could be “going in and out” of lockdown restrictions over the next few months.
Currently, more than 2.3 million people in Wales are subjected to local lockdown rules.
Under the regulations, they must not enter, leave or remain away from an affected area without a reasonable excuse such as work or education.
Indoor meetings with people from different households are banned, with extended households suspended. People must also work from home where possible.
Updated
Trick or treating will not be allowed in Lancashire this Halloween, it has been announced.
The Lancashire Resilience Forum said there would be restrictions to prevent large-scale events marking occasions including the Prophet Muhammed’s birthdate, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Remembrance Sunday, Diwali, Hanukkah and the switching-on of Christmas lights.
Trick or treating would not be permitted as it would increase risk of household transmissions, a spokesman said.
Angie Ridgwell, chairwoman of the forum, said:
While Lancashire continues to experience a rapid increase of coronavirus cases that puts the county among the highest level of transmissions in the country, large-scale community events create too great a risk for the public.
It is vital that we all work together to follow these regulations and avoid the temptation to break the rules on visiting other people’s homes or gardens to celebrate these events, putting yourself and others at risk.
We are working with various faith and business groups as well as charitable and community organisations – such as the British Legion – to see whether alternative arrangements can be made to mark these occasions.
Updated
A threatened Tory revolt means the opposition actually has some leverage. It should use it to demand proper sick pay, writes journalist Chaminda Jayanetti.
If the Tory rebellion against the tightening of lockdown measures is big enough to override the government majority, Johnson is left relying on opposition votes. A vote is reportedly planned on Monday on the 10pm curfew, and Labour has pledged to back it.
Labour’s argument is that if the measures fall, then there would be no restrictions left in place – “it’s an up-down, take-it-or-leave-it vote”, in Keir Starmer’s words.
That may be – but it also means that Johnson, who certainly does want restrictions in place, is essentially getting a free lunch off the Labour party.
It would be irresponsible and reckless for Labour, or any other party, to vote against the government on Covid measures just to inflict a defeat on the prime minister. But Labour has expressed plenty of disquiet about the government’s approach, and here is the chance to do something about it.
Updated
Business leaders have praised new government support for companies, saying it should “cushion the blow” for those most affected by new coronavirus restrictions, but unions say more needed to be done to save jobs.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the government will pay two-thirds of the wages of staff in pubs, restaurants and other businesses if they are forced to close under new coronavirus restrictions.
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said:
The steep rise in infections in some areas means new restrictions to curb numbers feel unavoidable.
The chancellor’s more generous job support for those under strict restrictions should cushion the blow for the most affected and keep more people in work.
But many firms, including pubs and restaurants, will still be hugely disappointed if they have to close their doors again after doing so much to keep customers and staff safe.
The TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said:
This scheme will protect jobs in businesses forced to close by local restrictions, but ministers still need to do more to stop the devastation of mass unemployment.
Firms which aren’t required to close but will still be hit by stricter local restrictions need a more generous short-time working scheme, and there needs to be extra help for self-employed people in local lockdown areas too.
Nationally, industries like the arts, hospitality, retail and aviation face a long, tough winter. These sectors need targeted help.
Updated
Meddling with Brexit, mulling a new leader – the Tories will do literally anything except reflect on their Covid response, writes Guardian columnist Marina Hyde.
We learn about the future from newspaper leaks, which is also where local mayors and authorities glean information as to what central government has decided for them. A totally self-defeating time-lag seems to be the government’s comfort zone. The decisive action that many believe is required is once again deferred, in order to manage aspects of the politics.
Why does this keep happening? Unfortunately, we won’t know, because despite the entreaties from political friends as well as those on the other side of the divide, Johnson’s administration resisted absolutely all suggestions that it should hold a brisk inquiry into how we handled the first wave of coronavirus, in order that we might be better prepared going into the second.
This does seem a puzzle, given that it is supposed to be a highly sophisticated, data-driven government, at least according to that chief incel to the prime minister, Dominic Cummings. Indeed, without wishing to put the cat among the skunkworks, it’s almost as if the government can’t face any form of self-awareness.
Government will pay two-thirds of staff wages if businesses forced to shut in lockdown areas
The government will pay two-thirds of the wages of staff in pubs, restaurants and other businesses if they are forced to close under new coronavirus restrictions, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced.
Sunak said the expansion of the jobs support scheme would provide “a safety net” for people and businesses across the UK in advance of potential closures over the winter.
Ministers are expected to outline a three-tier local lockdown system on Monday, which could see hospitality venues in coronavirus hotspots being temporarily closed to combat the spread of the virus.
Firms whose premises are legally required to close because of restrictions will receive grants to pay the wages of staff who cannot work, with the government paying two-thirds of each employee’s salary (67%) up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.
Employers will not be required to contribute towards wages, but will be asked to cover national insurance and pension contributions.
Businesses will be able to claim the grant when they are subject to restrictions and employees are off work for at least seven consecutive days.
The scheme will launch on 1 November and run for six months, with a review in January.
Businesses which are already legally closed, such as nightclubs, will also be eligible.
Sunak said:
Throughout the crisis the driving force of our economic policy has not changed.
I have always said that we will do whatever is necessary to protect jobs and livelihoods as the situation evolves.
The expansion of the job support scheme will provide a safety net for businesses across the UK who are required to temporarily close their doors, giving them the right support at the right time.
The government is also increasing cash grants available to businesses in England shut in local lockdowns to support with fixed costs. These grants will be linked to rateable values, with up to £3,000 per month payable every two weeks.
Updated
Women are being disproportionately affected by a rise in mental health problems caused by increasing workloads as people do their jobs from home amid the pandemic.
The length of the working day has increased steadily, resulting in a 49% rise in mental distress reported by employees when compared with 2017-19.
Women are bearing the brunt of problems as they juggle work and childcare, according to a report by the 4 Day Week campaign and thinktanks Compass and Autonomy.
The report, Burnout Britain, comes a day before World Mental Health Day and shows that women are 43% more likely to have increased their hours beyond a standard working week than men, and for those with children, this was even more clearly associated with mental health problems: 86% of women who are carrying out a standard working week alongside childcare, which is more than or equivalent to the UK average, experienced problems in April this year.
The University of Bristol has told hundreds of students to self-isolate after 40 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the same halls of residence.
All 300 students in the Courtrooms accommodation in the city centre have been told to remain in their flats and only socialise with those in their living circle, due to the cluster of coronavirus cases.
The latest figures from Bristol University show that 254 students and three staff members have tested positive for Covid-19.
Updated
There have been a further 766 cases of Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 29,028.
Public Health Wales said two further deaths had been reported, with the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic rising to 1,646.
Scientists advising the Government said the current R value - the number of people an infected person will pass coronavirus on to - for the UK is between 1.2 and 1.5.
This is down slightly on last week when it was between 1.3 and 1.6.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimates the number of new infections is growing by between 4% and 9% every day.
Sage said it was “almost certain that the epidemic continues to grow exponentially across the country, and is confident that the transmission is not slowing.
“While the R-value remains above 1.0, infections will continue to grow at an exponential rate.
“This is currently the case for every region of England and all have positive growth rates, reflecting increases in the number of new infections across the country.”
Khan: 'highly likely' London will face new restrictions soon
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the it “highly likely” London would face new stricter Covid restrictions soon.
Khan said “we are at a very serious tipping point. The virus is accelerating in every part of London.”
He said that a tightening of rules in London was “inevitable” alongside the expected announcement of a new tiered system that is due from No 10 next week.
Updated
Pressed on the cafe/restaurant confusion at her daily briefing, and with six hours to go until the shutdown across the central belt, Nicola Sturgeon said that if an establishment is unsure whether it can remain open “then my advice is to close”.
“If you are a business asking yourself ‘am I a restaurant?’ then perhaps you should be on the side of closing for two weeks,” she said, adding: “The price you pay for trying to introduce a bit of flexibility is that people then say there is no clarity.”
She added that “if a premises is in doubt, then they should close until they can speak to an environmental health officer.”
Updated
Coronavirus cases are doubling about twice as fast in the north-west, Yorkshire and the West Midlands as for the whole of England, according to the largest Covid-19 study of its kind.
Experts behind the React study said the rate of growth of the epidemic across England had slowed in the last month, but the country was now at a “critical point in the second wave”.
They warned that current measures such as the rule of six and restrictions in the north of England will not be enough to bring the epidemic under control.
“Further fixed-duration measures should be considered to reduce the infection rate and limit the numbers of hospital admissions and deaths from Covid-19,” they said.
The report looked at Covid-19 swabs from 174,949 volunteers tested across England between September 18 and Monday this week.
It found cases were doubling every 29 days in England, much slower than the 13 days estimated for the period mid-August to early September, resulting in a national reproductive rate (the R number) of 1.16.
At a regional level, the team estimated cases were doubling much quicker – every 17 days in the north-west, 13 days in Yorkshire and the Humber, and 14 days in the West Midlands.
Updated
There are no signs that the Welsh government is preparing to impose further restrictions on pubs and other hospitality businesses.
The first minister, Mark Drakeford, said his government did not have the evidence that rising cases of coronavirus were connected to the hospitality business.
Speaking at a press conference in Cardiff, he said: “The approach we are taking in Wales is to match the actions we take to the source of the problem. We will take action in relation to hospitality where the evidence tells us that is the cause of the problem.”
He said if the evidence did show a link between rising cases and pubs he would impose the same sort of restrictions coming into force in Scotland and being trailed for England.
Drakeford said he had been working with Welsh government lawyers to take action that would stop people from hotspots in England travelling to Wales.
But he said he was prepared to wait until Monday to see if the prime minister imposed travel restrictions for English hotspots.
No significant new measures have been introduced by the Welsh government – only a tweak to allow children in local lockdown areas to travel across county borders to play sport.
Updated
Hello everyone, I am taking the blog over from my colleague while she takes a lunch break. Please do get in touch with me if you want to share any comments or news tips.
Twitter: @sloumarsh
Instagram: sarah_marsh_journalist
Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, is self-isolating at home after coming into contact with someone who later tested positive for coronavirus, Buckingham Palace has said.
A palace spokeswoman said: “Earlier this week the Countess of Wessex came into contact with someone who has subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
“Her Royal Highness is not experiencing any symptoms, but is following all relevant government guidelines and is self-isolating at home.”
Updated
The Welsh government will amend local lockdown restrictions to allow children to take part in organised sporting activities outside of their county boundaries.
In Wales, people must not enter or leave areas under local lockdown without a reasonable excuse such as work or education.
The first minister, Mark Drakeford, told a press conference in Cardiff that Covid-19 was “waking up for winter”.
There is no quick way of making things get easier, or better, soon.
Over this winter, we will all be asked to make sacrifices to protect the most vulnerable, to prevent our NHS from being overwhelmed and to keep as many businesses and livelihoods operating safely.
Updated
Police Scotland has announced that additional patrols will assist local authorities in ensuring pubs and restaurants across central Scotland close at 6pm this evening as the temporary shutdown comes into force.
Chief constable Iain Livingstone said: “Officers will be highly visible in communities over the weekend to engage with the public, explain the new advice, guidance and restrictions and encourage people to do the right thing.”
Police Scotland officers have had more than 75,000 Covid-related interactions with members of the public since March, with about 4,000 or just over 5% resulting in formal enforcement action.
Livingstone said he remained concerned about informal house gatherings:
Despite overwhelming levels of cooperation and support, I am concerned that a small minority of people continue to host or participate in house parties and house gatherings.
While restrictions have changed quickly and often, I do not believe anyone in Scotland can be in any doubt that house gatherings and house parties allow the virus to spread and are unlawful.
Updated
Nearly nine out of 10 Covid-19 tests taken under the system used by care homes in England were returned after the government’s 48-hour target in September, official figures reveal.
The performance of the NHS test-and-trace system has sparked warnings from care managers that continued delays will increase the risk of infection among their vulnerable residents.
At the end of the first month in which tests were routinely provided to care home staff and residents, 87% of those carried out at satellite testing centres, predominantly used by care homes, were returned after more than two days. Over half took more than three days to come back.
Care workers are now being tested weekly and residents monthly, but managers are concerned that delays of over a week in some cases in receiving results mean asymptomatic staff could be spreading infection.
Downing Street said it “won’t hesitate to act” to tackle rising coronavirus cases amid reports that new restrictions will be imposed next week.
A No 10 spokesman said:
We have been clear that we are seeing cases rise across the country, especially in the north-east and north-west.
And as we have been clear throughout the pandemic, we will continue to keep all that data under review and won’t hesitate to act in order to protect communities and save lives.
The spokesman did not confirm when the government would announce a new three-tier local lockdown system, which is reportedly to be outlined on Monday.
Updated
At her daily press briefing, Nicola Sturgeon addressed head-on the confusion over the past 24 hours regarding the kinds of hospitality businesses that are affected by the temporary shutdown, starting at 6pm this evening.
Sturgeon said she “readily accepts there has been a lack of clarity” but says this was due to the speed with which the new rules needed to be imposed and the desire to maintain places where people who live alone can meet a friend for a coffee and a chat.
The newly published regulations define a cafe as “an establishment whose primary business activity ... is the sale of non-alcoholic drinks, snacks and light meals”.
Sturgeon says this doesn’t allow a restaurant to turn itself into a cafe in order to avoid the shutdown, but that the cafe exemption – which means that all cafes can stay open in the central belt until 6pm – had to be drawn “really tightly”.
Sturgeon also confirmed 1,246 positive tests for coronavirus, counting for 16.2% of those newly tested, in the last 24 hours in Scotland.
There has been an increase of 20 people in hospital, to 397, and a further six deaths.
Updated
Infection rate in England doubles within a week: ONS
There were an average of 17,200 new cases per day of Covid-19 in private households in England between 25 September and 1 October, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is up from an estimated 8,400 new cases per day for the period from 18 to 24 September.
The ONS said there had been a “marked increase” in the rate of new infections over the last six weeks.
The figures do not include people staying in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.
Updated
A UK government jobs quiz aimed at identifying potential new areas of work provides a string of unhelpful career suggestions including lock-keeping and boxing as well as currently precarious posts including airline pilot and cinema projectionist, users have complained.
Rishi Sunak’s warning that the coronavirus pandemic would force employees to adapt to find work has prompted much interest in the beta version of the career assessment tool. But some of the results it has produced, based on answers to 50 questions, have prompted mirth and despair among users.
Suggested posts in troubled industries caused the most alarm. Lara Platman, a photographer, was unimpressed to be told she might suit the role of an airline pilot or lock-keeper.
Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, is self-isolating after a close family member tested positive for Covid-19.
The Sinn Féin vice-president, who is being tested herself, will need to restrict her movements for two weeks and work remotely.
The development would only have potential self-isolating consequences for O’Neill’s Stormont colleagues if she tests positive for the virus.
A Sinn Féin spokesman said: “Joint head of government Michelle O’Neill has confirmed that she is being tested for coronavirus and is self-isolating after contact with a family member who has tested positive for Covid-19.
“Michelle will continue to follow the public health advice and carry out her duties in government remotely.”
Updated
Edinburgh Woollen Mill on verge of collapse with 24,000 jobs at risk
High street fashion chain Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM), which owns Peacocks and Jaeger, is close to collapse, with 24,000 jobs in the balance, according to documents filed with the High Court.
The company has lodged a notice of intention to appoint administrators to look for potential buyers to shore up the struggling business.
Bosses wrote to staff on Friday morning, warning them that the national and local lockdowns had hit sales very heavily.
The company added that it has been hit hard by allegations, which it denies, that the retailer and several rivals failed to pay some Bangladeshi suppliers during lockdown in an attempt to cut costs for clothes they were unlikely to sell.
The move by EWM, owned by businessman Philip Day, will see insolvency specialists at FRP spend 10 days carrying out an urgent review ahead of further action.
All stores will continue trading and further details will be announced in due course, the company added, but significant changes are expected.
Steve Simpson, chief executive of the EWM group said:
Like every retailer, we have found the past seven months extremely difficult.
This situation has grown worse in recent weeks as we have had to deal with a series of false rumours about our payments and trading which have impacted our credit insurance.
Traditionally, the group has always traded with strong cash reserves and a conservative balance sheet but these stories, the reduction in credit insurance - against the backdrop of the lockdown - and now this second wave of Covid-19 and all the local lockdowns, have made normal trading impossible.
As directors we have a duty to the business, our staff, our customers and our creditors to find the very best solution in this brutal environment.
So we have applied to court today for a short breathing space to assess our options before moving to appoint administrators.
Through this process I hope and believe we will be able to secure the best future for our businesses, but there will inevitably be significant cuts and closures as we work our way through this.
I would like to thank all our staff for their amazing efforts during this time and also our customers who have remained so loyal and committed to our brands.
Updated
As tensions rise between northern mayors and the government over local lockdown measures in place in major cities across the north of England, fears that coronavirus could exacerbate the north-south divide are growing.
For some families, the distinction between the local lockdowns in the north and the more relaxed measures in the south is particularly acute.
Helen Mason, 32, lives in the north-east under local lockdown restrictions, while her parents live in south Devon, which has no additional measures.
Mason said while she understood the need for local restrictions, discrepancies between different areas were difficult to swallow. She has two young children and said being unable to see friends and family had left her feeling isolated. She said:
The prospect of a national lockdown is hard, because [the south’s] cases are so low, and I’d be gutted if I lived there and went into what we have.
But it is hard when you can see people mainly living their normal life, and we’re not even allowed to see a friend. I think there’s quite a bit of resentment, and I know many people who are suspicious as to why things aren’t happening in London.
Students in lockdown across Britain have complained about the cost and quality of the food provided by their universities, with some charged hundreds of pounds for meal packages including baked beans and instant noodles.
With outbreaks recorded at more than 90 UK universities, some involving hundreds of people, the support provided by the institutions is coming under scrutiny.
Students have said they are struggling to feed themselves since supermarket delivery services are inaccessible or limited, and kitchen facilities lack space to stockpile food for the two weeks for which they have to quarantine.
Many have responded to universities’ patchy support by posting photos of their unpalatable emergency food packs on social media. They have complained they have no option but to pay high prices to their university for low quality food, some of which takes days to arrive.
Students at Queen’s University Belfast are being charged £15 a day (£210 for a fortnight) for meals that might comprise cereal, pot noodle and a microwave curry, which the Belfast Telegraph estimated would cost £55 in a local Tesco. According to the Save the Student annual survey of student finances, the average student spends £100 a month on groceries.
Updated
The proportion of adults leaving home to socialise or dine out has fallen in recent weeks as local restrictions and fears for the winter continue, official figures show.
Just under half (43%) of adults reported meeting with others less often, when asked about changes to socialising outside their household, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
A quarter of adults said they had eaten or drunk in a restaurant, pub or bar during the previous week when polled by the ONS between 30 September and 4 October.
Three weeks earlier, 30% of respondents said they had done so in the past seven days.
The proportion of adults leaving their home to meet others in either a public place or a personal place, such as another person’s home, has fallen eight percentage points over the same period.
Overall, 27% of adults said they had not socialised with anyone outside their household in the past seven days, compared to 25% last week.
Levels of socialising varied by whether someone said they were in an area subject to local lockdown restrictions.
A third (34%) of those in these areas said they had not socialised with anyone outside their household, compared with 25% for those not in local lockdown areas.
Seven per cent of people in a local lockdown area said they had socialised in a group with six or more people, rising to 9% of those not in an area subject to restrictions.
The ONS analysed responses from 1,573 adults about their feelings and activity during the past week in its Opinions and Lifestyle Survey examining the social impact of coronavirus.
It also found that average anxiety scores for all adults have increased to 4.3, the highest since 3 to 13 April, when the average score reached 4.9.
And 36% of adults reported high anxiety levels, the highest proportion since the height of lockdown, when 37% said so during 17 to 27 April.
Updated
Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and member of the Sage committee advising the government on the pandemic, has stressed the need for urgent action now “to avoid spiralling out of control”.
In response to our story that some hospitals in the north of England are set to run out of beds for Covid patients within a week, Farrar said the government is facing the same choices as in March.
The tragedy is how predictable this has been since at least early July. It was not inevitable. It is not inevitable now that this worsens, but to avoid spiralling out of control needs to be action now. We are close to or at events & choices of 13-23 March.
We are back to choices faced in the early March. With the lag time between making a decision, its implementation & its effect measured in weeks the longer the decisions are delayed the harder & more draconian are the interventions needed to change trajectory of epidemic curve.
Don’t act slower than the speed of the epidemic, don’t get behind an epidemic curve. So much harder to turn that epidemic curve around.
Don't act slower than the speed of the epidemic, don't get behind an epidemic curve. So much harder to turn that epidemic curve around.
— Jeremy Farrar (@JeremyFarrar) October 9, 2020
New shielding plans considered for hotspots as cases rise
Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people living in coronavirus hotspots could be told to shield this winter under plans reportedly being considered by the government as infections continue to soar.
Ministers are expected to outline a three-tier local lockdown system next week, which may see those most at risk if they catch Covid-19 being told to stay at home for months.
The Times said a decision on shielding had not been finalised and may be delayed because of fears for the mental health of those told to avoid seeing other people.
Around 2.2 million people in England deemed “clinically extremely vulnerable” were asked to shield at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, before the scheme was “paused” in July.
Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said coronavirus was “holding a gun” to Boris Johnson’s head over the restrictions being introduced, adding that the nation faces an anxious wait to see the full impact on the NHS. He said:
In the north of England now, we are not that far away from the health service being stretched.
Because even if we turn the epidemic around now, infections that occur today won’t go to hospital for another week or two.
MPs representing constituencies in the Midlands and north of England - where case numbers are highest - were briefed by the chief scientific adviser Professor Chris Whitty on Thursday.
One of those who joined the call said it was implied that the NHS may not cope if case numbers continued to rise in the areas.
Whitty also warned that some lockdown measures in the Midlands and the north of England could be in place for six months.
Updated
Calls for stricter safety measures on buses are being stepped up after the death of a driver with coronavirus earlier this week.
Unite named the driver as Kofi Opoku, who was based in Croydon, south London.
The union said bus driver safety is particularly sensitive as during the height of the pandemic earlier this year, male London bus drivers were the profession at greatest risk of dying from Covid-19, with at least 29 succumbing to the disease.
Unite, which represents more than 20,000 London bus workers, has called for improvements to vehicle safety to better protect drivers and passengers as the virus continues to spread.
Unite said it wants to ensure all screens and seals are properly installed, health and safety reps are stood down from normal duties to monitor safety in garages, and for a review and enhancement of cleaning regimes.
Unite officer John Murphy said:
The death of Kofi Opoku is a terrible reminder of the horrible human cost of Covid-19. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.
With infection rates rising swiftly and the knowledge we have gained from the first wave, it is absolutely essential that all these safety measures are introduced to protect bus drivers and their passengers.
During the first lockdown London bus drivers played a vital role in keeping the capital moving, and for that too many paid the ultimate price.
Significant safety procedures have been already introduced, but action needs to be taken to reinforce those measures.
Scotland’s clinical director Jason Leitch has attempted for clear up the confusion surrounding which hospitality premises are allowed to remain open after the crackdown on indoor drinking comes into force this evening.
As we earlier reported, many business owners in central Scotland, where a 16-day shutdown of pubs, restaurants and cafes that serve alcohol was announced by Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday, claimed that they were still uncertain whether they were expected to close at 6pm on Friday as trade bodies described the Scottish government’s behaviour as “dysfunctional”
Asked about the distinction between a restaurant and a cafe on Friday morning, Leitch said:
It’s not a neat division, but most institutions know which they are. What we’re trying to do here is curb hospitality in a way that stops households inter-mixing, particularly in the evening but also sometimes during the day in the central belt.
But we want the social isolation exemption - people who use cafes, especially the elderly, single parents, those with kids who can’t have people in their houses right now, we want them to still see each other, but very, very safely.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Leitch added that the strict hospitality measures would work in combination with the ongoing ban on household visits, and a “reset” for retail to 2 metre distancing.
Asked about accusations from the pub and restaurant sector that they were being scapegoated without compelling evidence, he insisted: “Nobody is being punished however I do understand certain sectors feel downtrodden. We will get the economy moving just as quickly as we can but the number one priority has to be the death and destruction caused by this virus.”
He added: “There is a compliance challenge, that’s why we’ve gone back to 2 metres in retail for example”.
Updated
Business minister Nadhim Zahawi has been doing the media rounds this morning, answering questions on new coronavirus restrictions and the latest UK growth figures.
He said “leaks” to newspapers over upcoming coronavirus restrictions are “corrosive”, after Labour leader Keir Starmer said they have led to confusion over Downing Street’s strategy.
Zahawi told Sky News:
I think you will agree with me that these leaks are completely counterproductive.
You’re doing a disservice to the service by speculation and leaks, I think that’s wrong.
I think the right thing to do is to wait for the decision that the government will always make sure we attempt to do in a co-ordinated way with the local teams.
I can promise you that this minister, or no minister, would actually instruct any member of staff to go out and actually brief this stuff out.
This is really bad that people are leaking this stuff and I hope that whoever’s doing this will stop because actually it’s counterproductive, it’s confusing and it’s corrosive.
Zahawi also warned that 2020 “is going to be a difficult year”, after new figures on GDP showed a struggling economy.
He told BBC Breakfast:
This is a really tough year economically. The Chancellor has put around £190bn into the economy to protect jobs.
Undoubtedly 2020 is going to be a difficult year. The direction of travel is still positive, it’s still over 2% growth, but nevertheless many many businesses, whether it’s hospitality and retail or aviation, are struggling with coronavirus as are many other nations around the world.
“Undoubtedly 2020 is going to be a difficult year”
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) October 9, 2020
On #BBCBreakfast Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi reacts to news the UK economy grew 2.1% in August missing expectations.https://t.co/qX1K8nB1YG pic.twitter.com/2Bc1JJa09w
He added that evidence presented to MPs by England’s chief medical officer showed 30% of coronavirus infections are coming through hospitality.
The evidence that Chris Whitty shared with my colleagues, northern MPs yesterday, does demonstrate that between restaurants, bars and cafes about 30% of the infections are coming through that hospitality, social interactions, if I can describe it as such.
And it is only right that we take action with the local leadership, with public health local teams, because they know their area best.
Updated
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has said Rishi Sunak’s job support scheme is “forcing businesses to flip a coin over who stays and who goes” because it is cheaper to employ one worker than two to do the same hours.
She said the cost to an employer of bringing back two workers in the arts sector for half of the week versus one for the whole week is £163 in the UK - compared with £98 in the Netherlands, £69 in France and nothing in Germany.
“The Chancellor’s sink-or-swim Job Support Scheme is forcing businesses to flip a coin over who stays and who goes,” she tweeted.
Cost to an employer of bringing back two workers in the arts sector for half the week versus one for the whole week:
— Anneliese Dodds (@AnnelieseDodds) October 9, 2020
🇬🇧 £163
🇳🇱 £98
🇫🇷 £69
🇩🇪 £0
The Chancellor's sink or swim Job Support Scheme is forcing businesses to flip a coin over who stays and who goes.
The job support scheme is a replacement for the coronavirus job retention scheme, and will involve the government contributing towards the wages of employees who are working fewer than normal hours.
Economic recovery slows in August despite Eat Out to Help Out
The pace of the UK’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis has slowed considerably and is far below what experts had hoped for, new figures show today.
Gross National Product (GDP) was up by 2.1% during August, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
It was the fourth consecutive month of growth, after the economy took a serious hit during the depths of the coronavirus lockdown. But it is less than half of what experts had expected, and a major slowdown since July.
Analysts expected that GDP would increase by 4.6%, according to a consensus taken by Pantheon Macroeconomics.
In July, GDP was up by 6.4%, and in June it rose by 9.1%, according to ONS data.
The government invested hundreds of millions of pounds to get the economy back on its feet in August, including through its ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme which paid for half a restaurant bill during parts of the month.
It was largely this scheme, and other government initiatives, that encouraged growth across the month, said Suren Thiru, head of economics at the British Chamber of Commerce.
The accommodation and food service sectors contributed 1.25 percentage points of August’s growth in GDP. Thiru said:
The increase in activity in August largely reflects a temporary boost from the economy reopening and government stimulus, including the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, rather than proof of a sustained ‘V’-shaped recovery.
It is now vital that the government is ready to help companies through what will prove to be a “difficult winter,” Thiru added.
The data shows that GDP rose by 8% in the three months to the end of August, marking a major turnaround from the depths of lockdown after GDP dropped a record 19.5% in April.
However, the measure is still 9.2% below where it was in February this year.
ONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics Jonathan Athow said:
The economy continued to recover in August but by less than in recent months.
There was strong growth in restaurants and accommodation due to the easing of lockdown rules, the Eat Out To Help Out scheme, and people choosing summer ‘staycations’.
However, many other parts of the service sector recorded muted growth.
Construction also continued its recovery, with a significant boost from housebuilding.
There was limited growth in manufacturing, which remains down on its pre-pandemic level, with car and aircraft production still much lower than the start of the year.
You can follow rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news after the release of the UK growth figures over on our business live blog:
New jobs support to be announced as Starmer attacks government's "serial incompetence"
Morning everyone, this is Jessica Murray, I’ll be running the live blog today.
The government is coming under increasing criticism for its failure to consult with local leaders over extra coronavirus restrictions.
Writing in the Telegraph today, Labour leader Keir Starmer said:
The government is operating under the misguided, arrogant and counterproductive view that ‘Whitehall knows best’, that decisions can be made behind closed doors, without any real consultation or even picking up the phone to those on the frontline.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will today announce further support for jobs and businesses that are affected by coronavirus shutdowns amid calls to help the hardest hit industries and regions.
Sunak will detail “the next stage” of the Jobs Support Scheme on Friday, ahead of new restrictions expected for the hospitality sector.
Cities in northern England and other areas suffering a surge in Covid-19 cases may have pubs and restaurants temporarily closed to combat the spread of the virus.
Regional leaders and unions have been calling for fresh financial support to prevent further layoffs when new restrictions are imposed.
This morning Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said that “without an extension to the main furlough scheme, the damage to the economy of the North will be deep and lasting”.
The Government says these jobs are “not viable”. I say that they are.
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) October 9, 2020
Without an extension to the main furlough scheme, the damage to the economy of the North will be deep and lasting. https://t.co/NlaX1TZQFc
