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“We still have a week to go before the month closes. May 2021 will end with a double-digit unemployment rate, falling employment rate and substantial loss of employment,” CMIE said in its weekly analysis.
A Cabinet minister has apologised to people whose plans were disrupted by controversial guidance issued for eight Indian Covid-19 variant hotspots in England including the the London borough of Hounslow. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted shortcomings in the communications of the new advice which was last night watered down. Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about a group which had cancelled a sailing event in Bolton in the light of guidance on avoiding travel in and out of the eight areas, Mr Shapps said: “I’m really sorry that it has disrupted people’s plans.”
Ministers have been forced into retreat over “local lockdowns” after councils threatened to defy the rules. The Government on Tuesday night changed its advice to tackle outbreaks of the Indian variant of Covid within less than 24 hours of a row erupting over the policy, which critics said had descended into “farce”. The original guidance urged 1.7 million people in eight parts of England to restrict their travel in and out of their area and to socialise outdoors instead of indoors where possible. Ministers failed to pass on the new advice to local health and council leaders, who then told residents they did not have to follow the guidelines. The Government said on Tuesday it would “update” the guidance, insisting it was up to individuals whether to follow it. The majority of the affected areas are controlled by Labour councils, leading to accusations of hypocrisy as local party leaders vowed to defy tougher measures, while the party leadership