How will the Four-Week Lockdown affect the Housing Market in England?
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a second national lockdown for England, through a Q & A on Twitter, Robert Jenrick clarified how this second Lockdown will impact the Housing Market.
Q: Can I still move house?
A: Yes – the housing market will remain open throughout this period. Everyone should continue to play their part in reducing the spread of the virus by following the current guidance.
Q: Are mortgage holidays ending?
A: No – the mortgage payment holidays will no longer end today and there will be further information published by the FCA on Monday.
Q: Should I still go to work on a construction site next week?
A: Yes – anyone who cannot work effectively from home should travel to work and follow the relevant guidance for their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting vital sectors.
Q: I previously shielded – will I need to do so again?
A: We will not ask people to shield in the same way again but if you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should minimise contact with others. We will publish full guidance the next few days.
Covid-19: Boris Johnson announces four-week lockdown for England
Last night Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a second national lockdown for England as the UK passed one million Covid-19 cases.
COVID-19 case numbers have risen rapidly across the whole of the UK and in other countries.
The scientific reports state that day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection. That is why, from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December, the Government is taking the following action:
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Requiring people to stay at home, except for specific purposes.
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Preventing gathering with people you do not live with, except for specific purposes.
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Closing certain businesses and venues.
These new measures have been carefully judged to achieve the maximum reduction in growth in the number of cases, preventing the NHS from being overwhelmed, whilst ensuring that schools, colleges and universities stay open and that as many people as possible continue to work.
Until Thursday 5 November, the relevant Local Covid Alert Level measures will continue to apply..
The new measures will apply nationally for four weeks up to Wednesday 2 December. At the end of the period, the Government will look to return to a regional approach, based on the latest data.
Things that go Bump in the Night - The History of Halloween
Halloween is celebrated each year on October 31 and it is a misconception that Halloween originated in the United States.
In fact the tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and signified the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the worlds of the living and the dead merged. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
COVID-19 Will Continue To Test Small Businesses—Here’s How To Respond
Almost every business, regardless of size, has had to make adjustments to cope with the new realities accompanying the pandemic. The near-universal pivot to remote work, government-mandated stay-at-home orders, and ongoing health concerns have created a business environment that looks, for all intents and purposes, dramatically different than it did just months ago. Yet this is exactly the type of environment in which entrepreneurs thrive.
Your creativity, willingness to embrace risk, and ability to spot opportunity where others can’t are what allowed you to start a business in the first place, and those same attributes will serve you well as you seek ways to adapt in the months and years ahead. Your business may be struggling now, but by relying on the traits and instincts that got you to this point, you can keep moving forward. Plus, there are plenty of proven strategies you can deploy to continue to create value, even when your resources are stretched thin. Here are five:
1. Refine your marketing strategy and increase your focus on digital tactics.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we’re more reliant than ever on modern technology. Even if you’re not positioned to make substantial investments in new tools, you should constantly evaluate the digital strategies and technologies you already use, and now is the perfect time to do so in preparation for “the next normal.” Owen Loft, cofounder of Socium Media, recommends that companies take this time to optimize what’s working and explore new ideas.