7th August 2020 - Wilson James

7th August 2020

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HIGHLIGHTS
     •   Worldwide cases of COVID-19 have now surpassed 19 million with the global tally now at 19,266,947
         cases and 717,799 deaths, with 12,365,521 having recovered according to Worldometer.

     •   The Met Office has issued an amber health warning in the UK for Friday 7th August and through the
         weekend. Temperatures could reach between 36-38°C in parts of the south-east.

     •   Public Health England has added the southwest of England to a heatwave health warning. NHS staff will
         be on alert for high-risk groups, such as the over 75s. People are being encouraged not to go out in the
         middle of the day, drink plenty of water, avoid excessive alcohol, dress appropriately and apply sun cream
         to bare skin.

     •   Aberdeen lockdown is in effect as of Wednesday 5th August and will last at least a week with 79 new cases
         of COVID-19 now confirmed.

     •   Safety concerns over 50 million NHS masks make them unusable.

     •   Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have removed posts by US President Donald Trump over his comments
         that children were “almost immune” to COVID-19, as it broke the companies’ misinformation rules.

     •   France, Spain, and Greece all record new daily highs of COVID-19

     •   Hiroshima marked the 75th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing on Thursday 6th August.

     •   The Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has backed the government’s decision to end its
         furlough scheme in October.

     •   Australia could introduce more travel restrictions as it continues to battle COVID-19.

     •   Anti-government protests have broken out in Beirut after a disastrous explosion killed nearly 140 people
         and injured about 5,000. Protesters are angry as the blast is said to have been caused by 2,750 tonnes of
         ammonium nitrate which has been stored unsafely since 2013.

     •   Travellers from Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas now must quarantine when returning to the UK.

     •   US President Donald Trump has told US firms they have 45 days to stop doing business with TikTok and
         WeChat, claiming the apps are a threat to national security.

     •   The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that “vaccine nationalism” cannot beat COVID-19,
         intonating that richer countries should make any vaccines available to poorer countries for the good of all
         people.

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COVID-19
     TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES                         TOTAL DEATHS                     PATIENTS RECOVERED
            19,266,947                                717,799                            12,365,521

     07.08.2020 - Worldometer

     COVID-19 - UK
     •   It is thought that the UK government could have slowed the spread of COVID-19 if they had imposed
         quarantine restrictions earlier. The Home Affairs committee has said that the lack of border measures at
         the beginning of the pandemic was a ‘serious mistake’. It has been said that ministers underestimated the
         risk of importing the virus from Europe rather than just Asia.
     •   Due to the COVID-19 pandemic NHS staff have been warned to only use fans in single occupancy rooms
         for fear of spreading the disease.
     •   Northern Ireland’s first minister has said that people will have to wear masks in shops and enclosed public
         spaces from Monday 10th August. Pubs that do not serve indoor food will not now be able to reopen as
         planned.
     •   According to an annual study by Ofcom, adults are spending 40% of their waking hours in front of a
         screen. Additionally, it found that the amount of time people spending on streaming services such as
         Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney +, doubled in April. During this time, a staggering 12 million
         people joined a subscription service that they had not previously used. Viewing habits during the
         lockdown period show that on average, adults spent almost six and a half hours per day watching TV and
         online videos. Overall, the Viewing figures for video streaming services are up 71% from last year.
     •   The World Travel and Tourism council have warned that the worst-case scenario is being realised in the
         UK with nearly three million travel and tourism jobs at risk. The UK economy is close to losing nearly £142
         billion from the sector and blames the UK’s ‘confusing patchwork’ of quarantine and testing rules which
         have discouraged people from travelling.
     •   New figures by the Office for National Statistics suggest that about 1 in 20 people who have been
         shielding due to the COVID-19 pandemic do not plan on returning to work over the next few months.
     •   Cinemas in Scotland could be the new venue for jury trials after a trial of the setup in Edinburgh “worked
         very well”. The cinema set up allows both for the technology required to screen the trial, and the space
         needed for jurors to be able to effectively social distance.
     •   About 8 employees at Bakkavor dessert factory in Newark, Nottinghamshire are thought to have been
         diagnosed with COVID-19. This comes only weeks after one of the factory’s bosses was filmed threatening
         to fire staff who took sick leave. Staff at the factory had previously told media outlets that social
         distancing guidelines were not being adhered to and some staff returning from virus hotspots weren’t
         being told to self-isolate.
     •   Nearly 20,000 residents in Leicestershire are to be tested for COVID-19 in the coming weeks in attempt to
         clamp down on a rise in new cases seen in the town. In the past two weeks, 32 residents have tested
         positive for the virus compared to only 10 the fortnight before.
     •   Reports suggest that NHS Test and Trace workers are only making ‘a handful of calls’. One worker told
         media that after working in the role for two and a half months, had only made four calls.
     •   Schools Minister Nick Gibb has said that despite lockdown measures in the north, the plan is still for all
         schools to reopen in September.
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•     A survey has found that parents of children taking their GCSE exams next summer are most worried about
           the impact of the pandemic on education. Parents of year 10 pupils have the lowest belief in schools to be
           able to deal with the challenges of the pandemic.
     •     Preston could be the next city to re-introduce lockdown restrictions after a surge in COVID-19 cases.
           Infections in the city have doubled in the week from July 31st following anger over the re-opening of a
           nightclub.
     •     The World Health Organisation has pleaded with young people to refrain from going to parties in a bid to
           curb the spread of the virus. WHO emergencies Chief Mike Ryan said: “Younger people also need to take
           on board that they have responsibility. Ask yourself the question: do I really need to go to that party?”.
     •     Older school children may need to wear facemasks when they return to school in September.
     •     The Natural History Museum has officially reopened its doors after being closed since the beginning of the
           pandemic. New safety measures have been introduced including mandatory pre-booking, a reduction in
           capacity and social distancing.
     •     Aberdeen under lockdown: Bars, restaurants and cafes have been ordered to close their doors once again
           as lockdown restrictions are re-imposed. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that 54 cases have
           now been reported in the outbreak. A five-mile travel ban has been put into place and residents have
           been told not to enter each other’s homes. The tightening of restrictions will last at least seven days.
     •     Fifty million face masks bought by the government in April, as part of a £252 million contract with Ayanda
           Capital, are not now being used over safety concerns. The masks have ear loop fastenings rather than
           head loop and so may not fit tightly enough.
     •     People arriving into the UK from either Belgium, the Bahamas or Andorra will now have to quarantine for
           14 days as of 04:00 BST on Saturday 8th August.
     •     It has been announced that the London Marathon will be an ‘elite-only’ race in 2020.
     •     Virgin Atlantic could run out of cash next month if creditors do not approve a £1.2 billion rescue deal, a
           UK court has been told. Virgin’s lawyers have said the company is “fundamentally sound” but a
           restructuring and fresh injection of money is critical to securing its future after it was hit hard by the lack
           of demand in airline travel due to COVID-19.

         Useful Information Sources
                  UK wide – Public Health England
                  Scotland – Scottish Government
                  Northern Ireland – NISRA
                  COVID-19 deaths in England & Wales – ONS
                  COVID-19 Statistics – Worldometer – Johns Hopkins University

     COVID-19- OTHER COUNTRIES
     Australia
     The state of Queensland has announced it will close its border with the state of New South Wales to help hold
     back the second wave of the virus. Queensland has already closed its border to Victoria which has imposed
     night curfews and movement restrictions and has ordered most businesses to stop trading as of Wednesday
     August 5th.

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Botswana
     Botswana’s government has banned the sale of alcohol and suspended all liquor licences until further notice.
     All liquor stores will remain closed due to the “negative effects on adherence to COVID-19 protocols”. Last
     week a strict lockdown was reinstated in the capital, Gabarone, for two weeks to curb the rising cases of the
     virus. The country has 804 confirmed cases and 2 deaths.

     Brazil
     Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled that President Jair Bolsonaro’s government must adopt measures to stop the
     spread of COVID-19 to the country’s vulnerable indigenous communities. The government have 30 days to
     draw up a plan to reduce the threat of the virus which could wipe out some tribes. The court said measures
     should include sanitary barriers to stop outsiders entering protected tribal lands, but the court did not
     mention anything about stopping illegal loggers that indigenous leaders say are spreading the virus.

     Canada
     Pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc and German biotech firm BioNTech have confirmed a deal to supply
     Canada with an experimental COVID-19 vaccine.

     China

     Hong Kong
     Hong Kong is to offer free COVID-19 testing to all its residents.

     France
     France has recorded its highest daily total of new cases in months on Wednesday 5th August with 1,695 cases.
     France now has the third-highest death toll in Europe behind the UK and Italy with over 30,000 deaths.
     Toulouse has already introduced new rules requiring face masks in its busiest streets with Paris and other
     cities likely to follow suit. The French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday 5th that the wine sector
     would receive an extra €250 million in support from the state as a result of the industry being hit hard by the
     pandemic.

     Gambia
     The country’s president has declared a state of emergency and a nationwide night-time curfew for 21 days to
     stop the spread of COVID-19. The vice-president and three ministers have tested positive for the virus. All
     markets and shopping areas will close every Sunday for cleaning and fumigation.

     Germany
     Germany has said that people returning from high-risk countries will be required to take a COVID-19 test. Top
     doctors in the country have warned that a second wave of the virus is already well underway in Germany.
     According to their doctors union, The Marburger Bund, average infection rates increase by 700 each day and
     blame the second wave on ‘pandemic fatigue’.

     India
     More than two million Indians have now tested positive for COVID-19. The last million cases were confirmed in
     just twenty days, faster than the US or Brazil. Despite the rise, local authorities have continued to ease
     restrictions by allowing gyms and yoga studios to reopen. Nearly 40,000 have now died from COVID-19 in the
     country.

     Italy
     Italy’s civil aviation authority has threated to suspend Ryanair’s permit to fly in the country after allegations
     that the airline is not following COVID-19 safety rules. The airline has been accused of repeated violations of
     the COVID-19 regulations currently in place and imposed by the Italian government to protect passengers. The
     author said in a statement that the airline is not respecting the obligation to distance passengers.

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Japan
     The governor of Japan’s Aichi Prefecture has announced a regional “state of emergency”, urging people to stay
     at home at night and businesses to close early to curb the spread of COVID-19. Cases of the virus have been on
     the rise again recently and the lockdown measures will stay in place until 24th August.

     Latin America
     According to a Reuters tally, on Tuesday 4th, Latin America overtook Europe, becoming the area with the
     highest number of COVID-19 deaths. Latin America has now recorded more than 206,000 deaths, which is
     roughly 30% of the world total.

     Mozambique
     The country’s president has announced another 30 days of emergency from midnight Friday 7th August. This is
     the second time the country has declared a state of emergency since March. A phased easing of restrictions
     will come into effect from 18th August.

     Mexico
     The Mexican state of Oaxaca has banned the sale of junk food and sugary drinks to children in an attempt to
     reduce obesity and diabetes levels and combat COVID-19. Mexico has one of the world’s highest rates of
     childhood obesity and experts say this puts people at a greater risk of serious illness or death from the virus.
     Mexico’s death toll is the third highest in the world after the US and Brazil at around 50,000 deaths and 73
     percent of the population is overweight. The law will forbid the sale, distribution and promotion of sugary
     drinks and junk food to children. People breaking the law could be fined or have their businesses closed.

     North Korea
     North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has directed his government agencies to act immediately, to stabilise the
     livelihoods of residents with food and funds, in the city of Kaesong.

     Spain
     Wednesday 5th August also saw Spain record its highest number of new cases since lockdown began with 1,772
     infections. A well-known nightclub in Marbella has had to close its doors after multiple members of its staff
     tested positive for COVID-19. ‘The Olivia Valere’ announced on Monday 3rd that it would close even though
     they had an event booked for that evening. So far, 10 members of staff have tested positive for the virus.

     South Africa
     South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has set up a ministerial committee to investigate alleged corruption in
     state tenders connected to the COVID-19 pandemic provision. There are reports of suspect deals between
     government officials and businesses providing medical equipment and food aid parcels. South Africa currently
     has the fifth-largest outbreak in the world, and the largest in Africa, with 538,184 confirmed cases and 9,604
     deaths, with the worst far from over.

     Sweden
     Sweden has been a hot topic for conversation throughout the pandemic due to the fact they adopted the
     ‘herd’ immunity strategy as opposed to enforcing a lockdown. Although figures show their economy has
     shrunk 8.6% between April and June, this is still significantly less that other EU nations who did impose a
     lockdown.

     United States of America
     Rafael Nadal winner of last year’s US tennis Open and Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios have announced
     they will not be attending this year’s event due to uncertainty surrounding the current COVID-19 pandemic.
     The event is still due to be held without spectators from August 31st-September 13th.

     Event organisers for The Indianapolis 500 have confirmed it will still take place but without spectators. The
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event was due to continue as usual in late August with reduced numbers of attendees but a recent spike in
     cases in the area caused the event planners to rethink the safety of those attending.

     Vietnam
     According to trends identified in figures, Vietnam will experience the peak of their COVID-19 outbreak in the
     next 10 days. Vietnam reported 43 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday 5th August bringing the total number
     of cases to 713 with eight deaths.

     WORLD NEWS
     Brazil
     Firearm imports to Brazil from Austria in the last 6 months have increased by 377% due to the relaxation of gun
     ownership laws following a 2018 election promise made by current President Jair Bolsonaro. Gun ownership
     has soared as buying ammunition and increasingly powerful guns (including semi-automatic assault rifles)
     becomes easier with Brazil allowing, for example, an increase in the number of firearms a person can buy from
     16 to 60. In 2019 Bolsonaro changed the laws allowing access to firearms and relaxing gun import regulations
     breaking the quasi-monopoly of the Brazilian manufacturer Taurus, one of the largest small-arms manufacturers
     in the world.

     Canada
     Packages of mysterious seeds being sent to mailboxes across North America are drawing attention to an online
     review scam that has recently appeared in Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned gardeners
     last week not to plant any seeds they received in the mail without ordering, warning that they could be from
     invasive species or even carry pests. While Canadian authorities have not provided an update, the United States
     Department of Agriculture has suggested the seeds may be part of a "brushing" scam, where sellers send
     unsolicited items to random customers and then post fake positive reviews online.

     China
     A Chinese court has sentenced a Canadian citizen to death on charges of producing the drug ketamine. He is the
     third Canadian to be sentenced to death in the country recently as tensions grow between the two countries.

     Hong Kong
     At least 24 people have been charged with taking part in a banned candlelight vigil marking the anniversary of
     China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on the 4th June. Hong Kong was the only place where the vigil was
     allowed to take place but was banned this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The vigil took place weeks
     before the new controversial security law came into force. One of the activists who has been charged, Nathan
     Law, had already fled to the UK, and another is media tycoon Jimmy Lai, a frequent critic of the Chinese
     leadership. All those charged are expected to appear in court on 15th September.

     France
     At least 500 hectares of vegetation have been devastated by wildfires in South Eastern France as of Tuesday
     4th of August as over 1,200 firefighters are mobilised to the area. It is unclear how the fire started with access
     to the area recently being restricted due to high temperatures and strong winds. France has experienced its
     warmest July for more than 60 years with limitations on water usage across two thirds of the county.

     India
     India’s cricket board has announced it will drop the Chinese smartphone company Vivo as the title sponsor of
     the Indian Premier League this year. Vivo paid £230 million for a five-year sponsorship deal in 2018 but the
     cricket board had been criticised for not dropping them sooner amid growing diplomatic tensions. India had
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previously banned up to 50 Chinese smartphone apps.

     Lebanon
     A large blast was reported in Beirut on Tuesday 4th of August at 7pm local time. The blast was heard over 150
     miles away and was the result of unsafely stored highly explosive material including 2,750 tonnes of
     ammonium nitrate. 137 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured, depending on sources, with the
     death toll expected to rise. Lebanese President Michel Aoun has called for a state of emergency lasting two
     weeks and a 3-day mourning period. Currently house arrest has been ordered for any port authority official
     having dealings with the storage of ammonium nitrate in the port for the last six years. The country’s military
     has taken over the security of the city.
     US President Donald Trump has suggested it was an attack stating "We have a very good relationship with the
     people of Lebanon, and we will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack. I have met with some of our great
     generals and they just seem to feel that this was not some kind of manufacturing explosion type of an event ...
     They seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind." The president’s opinion was not well received
     by Lebanon’s leaders.

     French President, Emmanuel Macron, was the first world leader to visit the country, one of its former colonies,
     when he visited on Thursday 6th August. He wants to give the Lebanese people hope for the future by mobilising
     aid but has called for deep changes to a “new Lebanon”. The French government has been calling for changes
     for some time due to reports of endemic political corruption in the country. The French leader called for a
     “transparent internal investigation” as he met up with top officials, heads of parliamentary blocs and civil
     society and independent leaders. He has said he will convene an international conference with the European
     Union, the United States, and regional countries to gather much needed humanitarian aid for the 300,000
     displaced civilians. President Macron promised “clear and transparent governance” of the funds, which could
     total in the billions.

     The World Bank has said it will work with the country’s partners to mobilise public and private financing for
     reconstruction and recovery in the wake of the explosion. It will also look at ways of financing “lives and
     livelihoods” impacted by the disaster with existing funds.

     In the wake of the explosion, protesters have taken to the streets, angry about the negligence which led to the
     blast. Officers deployed tear gas on dozens of people near parliament. Many say the government’s negligence
     led to the explosion and two ministers have since resigned. Sixteen people have been taken into custody.
     Mauritius
     Authorities in Mauritius have warned of a major oil spill along its south-eastern coast after a Panama-flagged
     ship carrying oil and diesel was breached. The public, boat operators and fishermen have all been warned not to
     venture to the beach nearby as a major protection operation is underway. The large bulk carrier was carrying
     200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of heavy oil and could become a major disaster for a country renowned
     for its tourism to its crystal-clear beaches.
     Mozambique
     The US has warned that Islamist militants are getting more aggressive in the country’s northern province of
     Cabo Delgado. They have allegedly been getting support from the Islamic State group and are confusingly
     known locally as al-Shabab, though they have no known affiliation with the Somali group of the same name.
     New Zealand
     A New Zealand man found guilty of murdering a British backpacker has appealed against his sentence.
     A jury convicted the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, of strangling Grace Millane in December
     2018 after they met via Tinder. The prosecution argued the man deliberately strangled Miss Millane to death,
     while defence lawyers claimed the death was accidental after the pair engaged in consensual erotic choking
     that went too far. Lawyer Rachel Reed said, “the conviction had problems, including questions around the issue
     of consent, some of the expert evidence, and negative evidence given by other women about the man’s
     character”.

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Northern Ireland
     The former MP, MEP and founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), John Hume has
     died at the age of 83. Hume was regarded as one of the most important figures in Irish political history and one
     of the main architects of the Northern Ireland peace process.

     Hume was made a Knight Commander of the Papal Order of St. Gregory by Pope Benedict and was awarded the
     Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 alongside former Ulster Unionist party (UUP) leader David Trimble. He also received
     the Gandhi Peace Prize and Martin Luther King Award, the only person to win the 3 major peace prizes. He was
     named ‘Ireland’s greatest person’ in a poll in 2010 by Irish broadcaster RTE beating the likes of Michael Collins,
     James Connolly, Bono, and former President Mary Robinson. In his later years he suffered from dementia.
     Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "John Hume was a political titan; a visionary who refused to believe the
     future had to be the same as the past." The Dalai Lama said "John Hume's deep conviction in the power of
     dialogue and negotiations to resolve conflict was unwavering... It was his leadership and his faith in the power
     of negotiations that enabled the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to be reached. His steady persistence set an
     example for us all to follow." U2 lead singer Bono added "We were looking for a giant and found a man whose
     life made all our lives bigger… we were looking for a negotiator who understood that no-one wins unless
     everyone wins and that peace is the only victory… we were looking for John Hume”.

     Philippines
     The country has plunged into recession after its biggest quarterly contraction on record according to data from
     the country’s Statistics Authority. Gross domestic product shrank by 16.5 percent compared to the previous
     year in the second quarter. Millions are out of work and businesses have been forced to close due to the
     world’s longest stay at home lockdown orders as a result of COVID-19.

     Saudi Arabia
     Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been accused of sending a hit-squad to Canada to kill a
     former Saudi intelligence officer. Documents filed in the US allege the failed plot to kill Saad al-Jabri was soon
     after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey and he has been protected by private security ever
     since.

     Spain
     Spain's former King Juan Carlos has fled to a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic amid a corruption scandal.
     In a letter to his son, King Felipe, Juan Carlos said he had chosen to leave the country making the decision
     because of "public repercussions that certain past events in my private life are generating". Prosecutors in
     Switzerland are investigating whether financial transactions linked to Juan Carlos had any bearing on Saudi
     Arabia awarding a lucrative multi-billion-dollar deal to Spanish companies to build a high-speed railway in the
     kingdom in 2011.
     Sri Lanka
     Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared victory in the country’s parliamentary election. His
     brother Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to be installed as prime minister, having held the role since November
     as caretaker. Their party secured two-thirds of the seats needed to carry out constitutional changes. The
     Rajapaksa family has dominated Sri Lankan politics for two decades as Mahinda was previously president from
     2005 to 2015. The main opposition party is a new group set up by the son of the former president, Ranasinghe
     Premadasa, who was assassinated in 1993.
     Turkey
     Thousands of women took to the streets in several Turkish cities on 5th August to protest against gender-based
     violence and demand that the government sign up to an international pact on such issues. The rallies were the
     biggest in recent weeks.
     Turkey have been angered by a “so-called agreement” between Greece and Egypt on an exclusive economic
     zone in the Mediterranean Sea. The Turkish foreign ministry declared the deal “null and void” as Greece and
     Egypt have no sea border. The area is located on Turkey’s continental shelf. Athens and Cairo look to secure
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maximum benefits from oil and natural gas in the area by joining together. Turkey will look to defend its
     legitimate rights and interests in the area and will not allow any activity that could threaten this. There are
     long-standing tensions between Greece and Turkey that has escalated recently due to the discovered gas
     reserves.

     United Kingdom
     A record number of 235 migrants were intercepted crossing the English Channel from France on Thursday 6th
     August. Among them were children and a heavily pregnant woman crossing in small boats. Minister for
     Immigration Compliance and the Courts Chris Philp is looking for stricter controls when he goes over to France
     on the week beginning 10th August. An inquiry has been launched into the reasons behind the increase in
     Channel crossings by migrants.

     United States of America
     At least nine people were killed as Tropical Storm Isaias battered the US east coast with rain and fierce winds
     after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina. Millions of people were without power on Wednesday
     August 5th after fallen trees downed power lines.

     Zimbabwe
     A hashtag highlighting the inequalities in Zimbabwe has gone viral globally. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter has been
     supported by a number of prominent US celebrities and hopes to bring support against the current President,
     Emmerson Mnangagwa, drumming up support in a similar way to the successful online campaign of the
     #BlackLivesMatter phenomenon.

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INSIGHTS
     Our Risk Advisory Service regularly publish articles and advisories covering myriad subjects. These publications
     can be found within our Insights section on our Risk Advisory Service website.

     A CHANGING NEED FOR OFFICE SPACE?
     The UK Office of National Statistics has reported that nearly 30% of adults were working exclusively from home
     at the start of July. With restrictions on working in the office having significantly eased from 1st August,
     businesses are now allowed to be far more flexible with their working practices, albeit whilst still sticking to
     social distancing measures. With the BBC reporting that 91% of office workers favour homeworking at least part
     of the time, it will be interesting to see whether companies adapt to these changing attitudes.

     Whilst others have put plans in place to begin a phased reopening in September to coincide with the expected
     re-opening of schools, others have opted to re-open earlier. The investment bank J P Morgan have introduced a
     private nurse to the site and employed the use of thermal cameras to monitor the temperature of staff in order
     to facilitate the reintroduction of staff to the office. Elsewhere, Shoosmiths, the law firm, have stressed that
     workers will be able to choose whether they wish to work from home or in the office from August, with those
     wishing to work in the office having to register their attendance three days in advance. Due, in part, to the

     unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, a few businesses, such as BP, Clifford Chance and
     GlaxoSmithKline, have yet to announce any timescale for when employees would be expected to return to the
     office.

     In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have had time to reflect on their business practices and
     how their employees work. A recent survey by the Royal Institute of Charted Surveyors found that 93% of
     businesses were looking to reduce their office footprint, a trend that is predicted to continue over the next two
     years as demands for office space in general have declined by 79% in the second quarter of 2020. Read more.

     PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT CONCERNS
     Recent news has emerged that fifty million face masks bought by the UK government in a £252 million contract
     in April will not be used by the NHS over safety concerns. The issue comes as the masks have ear-loop
     fastenings rather than head loops and so may not fit tightly enough. They were bought For NHS England from
     supplier Ayanda Capital, the company’s CEO says the masks met the standard asked for by the government, and
     that they had “not wasted any money” in buying them. It has emerged that the government trade adviser who
     originally approached the government about the deal also advises the board of Ayanda. When asked about the
     masks, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “very disappointed that any consignment of PPE should
     turn out not to be fit for purpose” and that personal protective equipment (PPE) was now being stockpiled in
     the event of a second wave of COVID-19. The procurement for PPE has been devolved over the four UK nations
     and the Welsh and Scottish governments have not used Ayanda as a supplier. Opposition parties are now calling
     for an investigation into the deal.

     Media reports suggest that some NHS managers have reportedly tried to stop their doctors from speaking
     publicly about shortages of PPE. Apparently over one hundred healthcare workers have contacted a whistle
     blowing organisation since the beginning of March, raising concerns over COVID-19 and PPE. Letters to staff
     from NHS trusts have put pressure on them not to talk about political matters “such as PPE”. Posters have also
     been seen in trusts urging workers not “to make public appeals for equipment, donations or volunteers”. Some
     doctors report being called up in front of senior managers and told not to talk about PPE issues as they have
     never had PPE shortages, something the doctors “know to be untrue”, and other doctors told not to tweet
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negative stories.
     MPs have raised concerns over the levels of PPE availability and warn that supplies must be guaranteed before
     winter in case the UK faces a second wave of COVID-19. Though PPE has never technically run out, some trusts
     have come very close, and an official assessment of the supply and distribution of PPE in England between
     March and May highlighted shortcomings. A cross-party committee says it is not convinced there is a robust
     plan from the government to address the issue. When there are shortages NHS staff can now reuse some kit
     where it is safe to do so, even if it is labelled as single use by the manufacturer and the Royal College of Nurses
     says its members can refuse to treat patients as a “last resort” if adequate PPE has not been provided. Global
     demands for PPE are at unprecedented levels and much of the UK’s PPE is bought from overseas suppliers,
     leaving it vulnerable to sudden supply chain demands.

     TICKED OFF WITH TIKTOK: WHY PRESIDENT TRUMP IS KEEN TO BAN THE APP IN
     THE US
     The video app TikTok has gained a mass following the past few months with users becoming ‘addicted’ to both
     watching and creating short form video content. However, the app has recently come under fire from
     President Donald Trump after identifying the apps ties to China. President Trump has signed an executive
     order to ban any transactions with TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The order says: “the US must
     take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security. When the order begins in
     45 days, any US interaction with ByteDance will be prohibited. It is unclear whether this will allow time for
     Microsoft, who has been looking to buy the US operations of TikTok, time to secure a deal with the apps
     Chinese developers ByteDance. Concerns have arisen about the app being able to collect information about
     Americans that could be turned over to the Chinese government. The US Army and Navy had previously
     banned all service members from downloading the app to government issued devices, then at the beginning of
     the month, the US House of Representatives voted to ban the downloading of TikTok on all government issued
     devices. According to the research firm Sensor Tower, the app has been downloaded more than 2 billion times
     with 623 million downloads during the pandemic. The biggest user of the app was previously India, followed by
     Brazil and then the US, however India have since banned the app with Australia also considering a ban. It is
     interesting that although the apps parent company ByteDance is Chinese, the app is not authorised in China,
     and has instead been replaced by a more domestic version called Douyin. So, what is President Trump so
     concerned about? Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News that users of the app
     are putting “private information into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party”. However, in a separate
     interview President Trump claimed that the ban was being considered to ‘punish’ China for their response to
     the COVID-19 pandemic. The comments came after TikTok users said that they interfered with attendance at
     the June presidential rally by reserving thousands of tickets online with no intentions to attend the event. Two
     senators have requested that the Department of Justice should investigate TickTok as well as the video call app
     Zoom.

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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/7th August 2020

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