Reports of ‘heavy loading’ on some London Underground tube lines this morning are disturbing. Cutting tube services has backfired.
By Sunday (March 22nd), the number of hospital trusts reporting at least one death from Covid-19 had risen to 72, up 15 since Friday.
Ironically, London’s share of the total is falling, down from 45% to 42%. The dispersion of Covid-19 fatalities is widening, with the North East and Yorkshire experiencing significant increases. Other regional hotspots, aside from the West Midlands, include Stockport in the North West (four deaths over the weekend) and the Royal Cornwall (Truro, which reported five deaths over the weekend).
Other hotspots include Sheffield, Mid-Cheshire, Nottingham, Milton Keynes and North Cumbria. Cumbria has a relatively high level of Covid-19 cases and is one popular rural destination that has seen an in influx of visitors since the health crisis began.
Oil is on the slide again this morning. The crisis facing the fossil fuels industry pre-dates Covid-19. But calls for a ‘shut-in’ across the shale industry in the US are growing. For the oil majors, cutting capex, and waiting for a return to business as usual is not going to cut it: the pressure from investors to respect (and accelerate) ESG will only intensify as other health issues come under the microscope (pollution).
The (superior) ability of the Chinese authorities to effectively manage the Covid-19 crisis, allowing Alibaba to restart much of its e-commerce operations – while expanding cloud services – could be the difference between success and failure for Softbank.
• Dispersion risks in UK, Boris under pressure
• Oil price, talk of $5 per barrel, ESG to gain?
• Softbank’s ‘restructure’ under the spotlight
