Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

23 Sep

23 September 2020

A series of daily updates for CHO members regarding relevant updates pertaining to Coronavirus from home and abroad.

Key Announcements:

  • The Prime Minister delivered an address to the nation last night to reiterate the restrictions he announced earlier in the Commons. The full address can be read here.
  • Under new measures in England:
  • Office workers are being told to work from home again if possible.
  • Penalties for not wearing a mask or gathering in groups of more than six will increase to £200 on the first offence.
  • From Thursday 24 September, all pubs, bars and restaurants will be restricted to table service only and must close at 10pm. The 10pm deadline is when they must shut their doors, meaning last orders will be earlier.
  • Face coverings must be worn by taxi drivers and passengers from today.
  • Retail staff and customers in indoor hospitality venues will also have to wear masks from Thursday, except when seated at a table to eat or drink.
  • From Monday 28 September, only 15 people will be able to attend weddings and civil partnerships, in groups of six. Funerals can still take place with up to 30 people.
  • From 28 September, indoor adult sports will be limited to a group of six.
  • Spectators returning to sports venues has been delayed indefinitely
  • Cases in the UK rose by 4,926 yesterday, with 37 recorded deaths.
  • The Prime Minister said the new restrictions could be in place for 6 months and that “if people don’t follow the rules we have set out, then we must reserve the right to go further.”
  • Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, will deliver a right of reply speech at 8pm tonight. He used his conference speech yesterday to say that the “Government has lost control” and accuse the Government of arrogance and incompetence.
  • The Governor of the Bank of England told the Chancellor he needs to “stop and rethink” the furlough scheme. There is widespread concern about the impact of the new restrictions on businesses with the furlough scheme due to end in October.

Regional/Devolved

  • The list of local lockdown continues to expand. The full breakdown of the regional restrictions can be viewed here.
  • From today, people in Scotland are being told not to visit people from other households indoors. This will be legislated for from Friday.

International

  • The death toll in the United States has exceeded 200,000.
  • France is expected to announce tighter restrictions for Paris later today, including a ban on public gatherings of more than 10.
  • People arriving in Italy from Paris and seven other areas of France now have to undergo mandatory coronavirus tests.

Stakeholders

  • The Federation of Small Businesses have called on the government to give further support to businesses: “It’s paramount that the government urgently steps forward with an ambitious second round of support measures to help firms survive.”
  • Research from the Nuffield Trust shows that large number of infected people are still being missed by track and trace programme

Unconfirmed reports

  • There are reports that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering adopting a German style wage subsidy scheme when the furlough scheme ends.