6:55 am, November 2, 2020
- Here are the headlines on Monday, November 2
PM to tell MPs there is ‘no alternative’ to lockdown
Boris Johnson will warn coronavirus deaths over the winter could be twice as high as during the first wave of the pandemic when he outlines plans for a second national lockdown to MPs.
The PM is set to use a statement to the Commons this afternoon to say there is ‘no alternative’ but to impose four weeks of stringent restrictions across England to control rising cases.
It comes amid confusion over whether the measures could be extended beyond December 2, after cabinet office minister Michael Gove admitted they may need to be in place for longer. Several ministers told The Times the new restrictions could last into the new year.
Drakeford to unveil new national measures for Wales
New national measures to help curb the spread of coronavirus in Wales will be unveiled by First Minister Mark Drakeford today.
The restrictions will come into force when Wales’ 17-day firebreak lockdown expires on November 9, four days after England begins its own initial four-week lockdown.
Drakeford is expected to stress that the public’s actions and adapting their behaviours will be more important than the rules and regulations put in place by the Welsh government.
Postcode checker launched for Scotland’s five-tier restrictions
A postcode checker has been launched to help people in Scotland check where their area is in the new five-tier restrictions which came into effect today.
New measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic were brought in at 6am and affect Scots by local authority rather than health board area – with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warning the Scottish government will not hesitate to increase the level of protection if required.
The levels have been graded from zero to four, with no local authorities placed under the toughest measures at the highest level for now.
Ryanair records £178m loss
Ryanair said it is preparing for a ‘hugely challenging’ period to continue as it reported a loss of £178m in the first half of the year.
And the Ireland-based low-cost airline said it ‘expects to record higher losses’ in the second half of the year, despite having a lower cost base and a stronger balance sheet.
Coronavirus saw 99 per cent of the carrier’s fleet grounded for four months between mid-March and the end of June.
William tested positive for coronavirus in April
The Duke of Cambridge tested positive for coronavirus in April, it has emerged.
The Sun newspaper said William continued with his telephone and video engagements, and told one observer he had not wanted to worry anyone.
When contacted on Sunday, Kensington Palace declined to comment but did not deny the report.
Mayor claims victory in £1.8bn TfL bailout
Sadiq Khan claims he succeeded in ‘killing off the very worst government proposals’ as Transport for London secured a £1.8bn bailout.
TfL’s finances have taken a severe hit from the collapse in fare revenue during the coronavirus pandemic.
The bailout secures the running of public transport in the capital until March 2021.
Dive in shopping footfall expected during Christmas period
Turmoil on the high street is set to continue through the pivotal Christmas and Black Friday trading period as footfall looks set to slump dramatically compared to last year.
Retail intelligence firm Springboard has forecast that UK shopping destinations will see footfall for the six weeks to Boxing Day drop almost a third below the same period last year.
It said footfall is set to be 32.7 per cent down year-on-year with high street stores hardest hit by a shift towards online Christmas shopping.
Getting colder
The BBC says early rain will clear from the south-east of England to leave a blustery day across the UK with showers or longer spells of rain. There will be sunny spells, mainly for the south, but it will be getting colder.
Tonight, showery rain for Northern Ireland and Scotland, will fall as snow in the Scottish mountains. A spell of rain will spread across south Wales and southern England in the small hours.
Tomorrow, early rain will clear from south-east England. A mixture of sunny spells and showers for some, although these should die away as the day goes on except for the far north of Scotland.
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