Coronavirus News NEWS IN BRIEF
● The UK government has announced that all pupils and teachers in secondary schools and colleges in England are now required to wear face masks in communal areas and corridors. Issued by the Department for Education, the new guidance states that face coverings must be worn by adults and children aged 11 and over in schools and further education colleges when ‘moving around the premises, outside of classrooms or activity rooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained’. ● Dimensions has created a how-to-guide on how to clean your face masks. This is in response to a report by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies that has found only 12% of us are washing reusable face coverings correctly, with 34% of us wearing them more than four times before washing them. Additionally, more than 50% of us who wear disposable face masks are using them numerous times, instead of disposing of them after use. ● Cebrian UK has become the official UK distributor of the AllegraMask MED. This stylish face mask is produced in Germany and conforms to the highest hygiene standard according to ISO 13485. It is comfortable enough to wear all day and even prevents glasses from misting up. ● New research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance has found that UK businesses were twice as likely to be concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their business, as they were about the impact of the Brexit transition period coming to an end on December 31. 1,107 UK small business leaders were asked what they thought their biggest barriers to growth in the next six months would be. Over half of
respondents (51%) cited the direct impact of coronavirus on their business operations, while in comparison, just 25% were concerned about Brexit and its impact on their business. ● Hand sanitisers and medical face masks are among the wide product range available in Goldstar’s new Protection & Wellness catalogue. Colin Loughran, general manager, said the many highly practical products in the catalogue reflected the company’s commitment to offering products that meet the needs of businesses today.
| 12 | December 2020
Furloughscheme extended to March 2021
T
he Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended across the UK until the end of March.
On Thursday, November 5, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced that the furlough scheme will pay up to 80% of a person’s wage up to £2,500 a month until March, with the policy to be reviewed in January.
Mr Sunak said: “I’ve always said I would do whatever it takes to protect jobs and livelihoods across the UK – and that has meant adapting our support as the path of the virus has changed. “It’s clear the economic effects are much longer lasting for businesses than the duration of any restrictions, which is why we have decided to go further with our support.
“Extending furlough and increasing our support for the self-employed will protect millions of jobs and give people and businesses the certainty they need over what will be a difficult winter.” Mr Sunak also announced billions of
pounds of further support for the economy,
including more money for the self-employed. Support through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)
will be increased, with the third grant covering November to January calculated at 80% of average trading profits, up to a maximum of £7,500.
On top of this the government also announced: ● Cash grants of up to £3,000 per month for businesses which are closed worth more than £1 billion every month. ● £1.1 billion is being given to Local Authorities, distributed on the basis of £20 per head, for one-off payments to enable them to support businesses more broadly. ● Plans to extend existing government- backed loan schemes and the Future Fund to the end of January, and an ability to top- up Bounce Back Loans. ● An extension to the mortgage payment holiday for homeowners. ● Up to £500 million of funding for councils to support the local public health response.
Sonovia face masks launch in the UK lobal MedTech
G
business, Sonovia, is launching in the UK a range of face masks that are proven to be over 90% effective against COVID-19 and EU certified to kill 99.9999% of viruses. Backed by Nobel Prize Winner for Chemistry, professor Sidney Altman, Sonovia’s masks took numerous trials and over
capabilities. It is therefore no surprise that Sonovia’s masks have already
generated international buzz and are currently worn by Premier League 4th officials among other high-profile individuals.
The Sonovia Face Mask
seven years to develop and perfect to the desired standard and functionality. The patented technology uses zinc oxide nanoparticles infused into the fabric to deliver a face covering option that is sustainable and technologically superior to anything else on the market.
With hundreds of masks now sold online and across the retail sector, Sonovia’s launch into the UK signifies a big step forward in the advancement and testing of groundbreaking technologies that not only protect people from viruses but also offer a sustainable alternative. To date, the masks have only been available internationally, but GlobalNPD has identified a gap in the UK market to introduce a product at a competitive price point to be at the forefront of the B2B and self-employed markets due to its pioneering technology and sustainability credentials as well as personalisation
accessible.
Dr Jeevan Boyal, a director of GlobalNPD, said: “We’re proud to launch Sonovia’s masks into the UK market via GlobalNPD and hope that the products help businesses and consumers alike in adjusting to the new normal. We have seen the numerous reports of environmental impact of non-reusable masks, and if we continue ignoring it for much longer the impact will go beyond what can be repaired. Sonovia’s revolutionary technology took over seven years to develop because we were not willing to compromise on functionality or sustainability while keeping in mind our competitive price point and appeal to the B2B audience. Ultimately our mission is to bring frontier products led by superior technology to global audiences, and our roll out in the UK is the next piece of our puzzle.”
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
As the B2B distributor for Sonovia’s products in the UK, GlobalNPD is on a mission to make innovative frontier technologies more
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