Coronavirus: The numbers that help tell the story of six months since lockdown
Written by News on 23/09/2020
A new wave of coronavirus restrictions are set to come into force six months after the the UK was placed under a national lockdown.
The measures include closing pubs, restaurants and bars at 10pm and limiting weddings to 15 people.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new restrictions could be in place for another six months.
As the country marks exactly six months since the national lockdown was imposed on 23 March, we take a look at some of the numbers that help to tell the story of the pandemic since then.
Jobs lost – 136,966
The latest Sky News figures show at least 136,966 UK jobs have been lost due to coronavirus.
Retail and aviation have been the worst hit sectors – each accounting for about one in four of the total.
Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Boots and John Lewis plan to axe thousands of roles in retail while others, such as Oasis and Warehouse, have disappeared from the high street altogether.
There have also been job losses in the hospitality, energy and manufacturing sectors.
Eat Out to Help Out meals – 114,156,000
Anyone eating at a participating outlet from Monday to Wednesday was able to claim a 50% state-funded discount on food and soft drinks up to a maximum of £10 during August.
The chancellor’s move was designed to help the struggling hospitality sector and was deemed an overwhelming success.
The total number of meals claimed in the UK was 114,156,000 up to 27 August, which accounts for a total discount of £659,391,000 in 127,625 restaurants.
Weeks of clapping for carers – 11
In the early days of the pandemic Britons took to their doorsteps, balconies and front gardens every Thursday to clap for the NHS and care workers.
The weekly event took place for 10 weeks.
The show of appreciation returned in June for single week in June to mark the 72nd birthday of the NHS.
Number of weeks Premier League football was stopped – 14
Top-flight football returned on 17 June after the 2019-20 season was halted due to the pandemic.
Teams played in empty stadiums with the matches broadcast live across Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Sport and Amazon Prime.
The Premier League said “strict medical protocols” were in place at top-flight training grounds in England to make sure everyone involved was as protected as possible from COVID-19.
Years since Wimbledon had last been cancelled – 75
The oldest tennis tournament in the world was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Only the two World Wars had previously prevented the contest, founded in 1877, from being held.
One of the most important events in the annual tennis calendar, the Championship was due to be held for two weeks from 29 June 2020.
Distance told to travel for a coronavirus test – 500 miles
Some British people have been told to travel as far as 500 miles to get a coronavirus swab as testing centres buckle under the pressure of rising demand.
Families with young children and patients with underlying conditions in England told Sky News they are being offered drive-through tests in Scotland or Wales.
Parents of youngsters who have just returned to school for the first time in months are having to keep them away again and self-isolate until they get a negative test result.
But despite hours trying to secure a slot on the government website or phone line, it is proving impossible for many.
Number of government U-turns – 11
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his top ministers have made at least 11 about-turns on policy during the pandemic.
Downing Street announced free school meals would be provided to some children during the summer holidays – despite the Department for Education having said they wouldn’t.
The U-turn followed a high-profile campaign by England and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, who Health Secretary Matt Hancock called “Daniel Rashford”.
The government has also reversed its policy in relation to face masks in schools, MPs voting and the NHS bereavement scheme.
Number of lives saved due to fall in air pollution in a one month – 1,700
Coronavirus lockdowns are said to have pushed down levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) produced by vehicles and industry.
The NO2 level in the UK is said to have fallen by nearly 40% in April.
The UK avoided an estimated 1,752 deaths related to air pollution in that month, second only to Germany at 2,083.
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Cost of furlough scheme – £35.4bn
The cost of taxpayer subsidies for jobs climbed above £35bn in July.
Around one in eight workers remained on furlough in August as the job retention scheme was being wound down, figures showed.
Some 12% of employees remained on taxpayer-funded leave in August, according to the Office for National Statistics.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: The numbers that help tell the story of six months since lockdown
