6:47 am, August 24, 2020
- Here are the motoring, business and news headlines for Monday, August 24
PM urges parents to send children back to school
Boris Johnson has issued a plea to parents to send their children back to the classroom when schools reopen next month.
The Prime Minister said the risk of contracting coronavirus in schools is ‘very small’, and that pupils face greater harm by continuing to stay at home.
Johnson said: ‘As the chief medical officer has said, the risk of contracting Covid-19 in school is very small and it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and wellbeing to be away from school any longer.’
More than 90,000 travel jobs lost or at risk
More than 90,000 jobs have been lost or placed at risk across the wider travel sector since the coronavirus crisis started, the association of travel agents and tour operators has said.
Abta has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak asking for a package of measures to support businesses and employees before thousands more jobs are lost.
The travel association warned that the job situation in the industry had reached a ‘critical point’ with measures to control the pandemic affecting the market.
Tower Bridge reopens for motorists
Tower Bridge has reopened for vehicles after being shut for over 24 hours due to a mechanical fault.
The landmark’s Twitter account confirmed on Sunday evening that motorists could start using it again.
It had been shut to drivers since Saturday afternoon when the bridge failed to close after allowing a ship to pass along the River Thames. Queues of motorists and pedestrians were left waiting from both directions.
Blood pressure medication may improve Covid-19 survival rates
Medication for high blood pressure could improve Covid-19 survival rates and reduce the severity of infection in patients with high blood pressure, a new study suggests.
Researchers studied 28,000 patients taking antihypertensives, a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).
They found that the risk of severe Covid-19 illness and death was reduced for patients with high blood pressure who were taking Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB).
Rolls-Royce unveils Dawn Silver Bullet special edition
Rolls-Royce has revealed a limited-edition two-seat version of its Dawn convertible – the first client-commissioned ‘Collection Cars’ model to roll off the production line.
Limited to just 50 units, the Silver Bullet draws inspiration from 1920s roadsters and ditches the regular Dawn’s rear seats in favour of titanium buttresses.
Though Rolls-Royce has yet to disclose any prices, it’s likely they’ll far exceed the £275,295 asking price for the regular Dawn.
Britons spend £552-a-year on subscriptions
Britons are spending an average of £552 each year on subscriptions ranging from meal kits to entertainment platforms, according to new figures.
Research from Barclaycard Payments has revealed that the average Briton is spending £46 on subscriptions each month, with the figure rapidly rising.
The company said that almost two-thirds, 65 per cent, of UK homes are signed up to regular subscription services with the subscription economy said to be worth around £323m.
Sunny spells but big storm coming
There will be showers at first in England and northern Scotland with sunny spells elsewhere. In the afternoon, there will be sun and showers in the eastern half of the UK with sunny spells and patchy cloud elsewhere.
This evening, there will be sunny spells and variable cloud for much of England, Northern Ireland and most of Scotland. It will become cloudy and windy overnight with rain in southern and central regions.
The BBC says gales head in on Tuesday, with rain tapering to showers in southern and central regions but it’ll continue to be very windy. Northern areas will see rain and windy conditions develop from the south.
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