Daily Mirror - 05.03.2020

mirror.co.uk THURSDAY 05.03.2020 DAILY MIRROR^7

DM1ST

coronavirus crisis: fears for uk economy

admitted they

were worried

about the future.

John McCabe, of

Cotswold China and Cook-

ware in Bourton-on-the-Water, said

tourists from the Far East make up

half of his winter trade and takings are

down 20% this year.

He said: “Going forward is my

concern, with visitors running scared.”

In a worrying echo of the 2008

financial crisis, the Bank of England

said some firms would need bailouts.

Andrew Bailey, the bank’s new

governor said: “It’s reasonable to

expect we are going to have to supply

some finance in the not too distant

future... in particular to small firms.”

[email protected]

@DailyMirror

vals such as

Glastonbury, in

case limits are

placed on large gather-

ings. Blenheim Palace in

Oxfordshire, the birthplace of

Winston Churchill which attracts one

million people a year, fears it will suffer

at least a 10% drop in visitors.

Small businesses also blamed a lack

of travellers for falling sales and

food riots”. As tourist attractions and

the service industry began counting

the cost of the virus, Premier League

chiefs met to discuss playing games in

empty stadiums, as decided in Italy.

The move would hammer takings

at pubs and food sellers and there are

fears other major events may also be

affected in the coming months.

London Marathon bosses are moni-

toring the situation as are music festi-

consultancy Retail Economics the

virus has already affected sales.

And a report published by the

research group yesterday said 75%

think the damage will get worse.

Boss Richard Lim said: “Retailers are

battling significant disruption to

supply chains as the coronavirus has

choked off production in China.

“Continuity of supply” was their

main concern, he added.

Supermarkets including Tesco have

drawn up “feed the nation” plans to

help keep stores stocked. 

It would mean they work with

suppliers to cut the variety of foods

available, and focus on maintaining

supplies of staple products.

But city analyst Bruno Monteyne

warned a major outbreak could result

in “panic buying, empty shelves and

Dr Miriam Stoppard

daily virus update

regent st 4.27pm

Tanger Med, 25 miles east of the city

of Tangier, locals reports said.

Website le360.ma said the

unnamed driver was planning to sell

the masks for £26 each in Britain.

Smuggler’s mask arrest

A BRITISH lorry driver has reportedly

been held in Morocco after trying to

sneak out 100,000 face masks worth

£2.6million to profit from coronavirus.

The trucker was held in the Port of

Closures &

deaths as

virus bites

ITALY is closing schools and

universities for 10 days in a bid to

contain the coronavirus crisis.

The Italian government also

ordered all sporting events to take

place without fans until April 3 –

with the Six Nations clash of Italy

and England on March 14 in Rome

likely to be affected.

The country’s death toll is at

107, with 2,700 people infected.

Coronavirus has killed more

than 3,200 people globally, with

92,000 cases in 71 countries.

Chile, Argentina and Hungary

yesterday announced their first

confirmed cases of the disease,

while Iraq announced its first

coronavirus death.

Around 2,000 passengers on

the cruise ship MSC Opera are in

quarantine off the coast of Greece

after an Austrian who had been

on board tested positive.

And some 27,000 people are

“under surveillance” in India amid

fears of a widespread outbreak.

Organisers of the Tokyo

Olympics told athletes to prepare

for their events despite fears the

games might be postponed.

Home tests

pilot could

hit spread

GOOD news! People in London

with suspected coronavirus are

being tested at home in a pilot

study to stop unnecessary

ambulance use and hospital visits.

The community testing scheme,

started last month in North West

London NHS Trust, is now running

in three other trusts – University

College London Hospital, St

George’s University Hospital and

Guy’s and St Thomas’.

It was started by Laurence

John of Northwick Park Hospital,

Harrow, who said the need was

clear after 25 ambulances were

out of service in one afternoon for

decontamination.

Patients who contact their GPs

or NHS 111 and self-isolate are

visited by a health professional

within 24 hours and tested. They

are then phoned with results and,

if infected, admitted to hospital.

Let’s hope it proves effective

because it give us a powerful tool

to control the spread of the virus

if rolled out across the country.

BUSy Regent St full of

people as it usually is

Gap S Panic buying emptied shelves

in Tesco, Raynes Park, West London

Ba G Up Trying to

fight virus with

DIY mask on Tube

Popular London shopping area was almost empty yesterday

Covered

Footie fans

in masks at

Hillsborough

last night