“We want to be able to hit those milestones, but we will be vigilant and watch what’s happening to make sure it’s safe to make each move,” Matt Hancock told Sky News on Tuesday, referencing PM Boris Johnson’s long-awaited roadmap out of the Covid-19 lockdown. Hancock said the government wants …
Read More »Tory MPs demand easing of Covid restrictions starting March, say govt must show ‘cost-benefit’ of existing rules
Leaders of the Covid Recovery Group, which consists of 63 Conservative MPs, wrote to the British prime minister on Saturday in an effort to get the government to commit to a plan to phase out the restrictions. Noting that lockdowns cause “immense social and health damage”, the group said schools …
Read More »Robinhood narrows trade restrictions list to 8 companies, including GameStop
Companies that still face limitations include GameStop, AMC Entertainment Holdings, Blackberry, and others, Robinhood said, noting that the limits may be “subject to change throughout the day.” Opening new positions in those securities is limited, according to its website, which lists the maximum number of shares and options contracts each …
Read More »London to ‘look at’ easing some Covid-19 restrictions in mid-February, Boris Johnson says
The prime minister spoke to reporters on Monday as he visited a coronavirus vaccination site in north London. Johnson signalled that the relaxation of restrictions might only be considered after February 15, when – and if – the country meets its deadline set to vaccinate 15 million people from high-priority …
Read More »Restrictions will remain in place, incoming Biden admin says, after Trump orders an end to Covid-19 travel bans on UK, EU & Brazil
Jen Psaki, the spokeswoman for the president-elect, said on Tuesday that the emergence of “more contagious variants” of the virus meant that loosening limitations on travel was not an option. “In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel,” she wrote on Twitter. Psaki’s statement was released …
Read More »German FM says vaccinated people should be exempt from some Covid-19 restrictions
In an interview with German tabloid Bild on Sunday, Maas proposed allowing vaccinated Germans to go back to normal, arguing that “If there are only vaccinated people in a restaurant or a cinema, they can no longer endanger each other.” Vaccinated people should be able to exercise their basic rights …
Read More »Japan considers heavy fines & JAIL for violators of coronavirus restrictions
The new penalties proposed by PM Yoshihide Suga’s administration were discussed at a meeting with the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry on Friday. The new restrictions come as a package of amendments to the infectious disease law, which is expected to be introduced to the parliament next week. Under the …
Read More »Sacrificing freedom for the environment? German MP suggests restrictions ‘similar’ to Covid-19 lockdowns to fight climate change
Germany had barely started its coronavirus vaccination campaign when a Social Democratic MP, Karl Lauterbach, warned that his compatriots need to brace themselves for yet another challenge: global warming. “We need measures to deal with climate change that are similar to the restrictions on personal freedom [imposed] to combat the …
Read More »Fighting post-lockdown weight gain? UK plans unhealthy food and drink restrictions to beat obesity as part of battle against Covid
The UK government plans to prohibit supermarkets from displaying unhealthy snacks and drinks at checkout areas, entrances, and at the end of aisles, in an effort to combat obesity. The new rules – planned for rollout in early 2022 – will also ban unhealthy special offers, restaurant soda free refills, …
Read More »People who refuse ‘voluntary’ Covid-19 vaccination could face restrictions, Ontario govt warns
The senior health official acknowledged that inoculation would be voluntary, but encouraged “everyone who is able to, to have the vaccination,” noting that there could be consequences for those who forgo the procedure. The remarks were made on Monday in response to a question from a journalist about whether schools, …
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