Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as the prospect of new restrictions to combat rising Covid-19 cases hits the FTSE 100
- Latest: FTSE 100 faces worst day since June
- Rolls-Royce and IAG slump 10% on lockdown fears
- Whitbread, Intercontinental Hotels and Wetherspoons fall
- Banks also among the fallers
- Introduction: Markets fear fresh restrictions
- Scientists: UK is at a tipping point
Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, are giving their briefing on Covid-19 now.
Sir Patrick is outlining how cases have increased in Europe, and there is now an increase in cases across all age groups in the UK.
We are in a situation where numbers are clearly increasing. They’re increasing in all age groups.
This increase in numbers is translating into an increase in hospitalisation.
Related: UK coronavirus live news: Whitty and Vallance giving rare joint briefing on virus
Health secretary Matt Hancock gave a pretty clear signal this morning that UK pubs will face new restrictions, to combat the rise in Covid-19 cases.
Reuters has the details:
Changes will be brought in to COVID-related rules affecting pubs, Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday.
Asked whether pubs would open at the weekend, Hancock said: “We’ll be absolutely clear about changes that we need to make in the very, very near future.
