Furloughed UK workers start returning to work

Following government advice, some of the United Kingdom’s 7.5 million furloughed workers have returned to work after two months of the novel coronavirus lockdown.

The move has prompted public transport operators to introduce calming measures and employ additional security in attempts to ensure social distancing rules are followed.

But some operators have admitted they cannot guarantee passengers a 2-meter buffer on commuter trains, sparking fears of a rise in transmissions of the virus.

The government has reminded workers who can work from home to continue to do so.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said people can also take the strain off public transport by staggering their start and finish times.

Commuters have also been advised to wear face coverings.

The eagerness of some to return to work was partially explained by a report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, or CIPD, that said more than one-fifth of UK employers plan to slash jobs in the next three months. Other employers plan to forget about pay rises, new hires, and bonuses.

The Financial Times said the report “confirms the bleak picture” painted by Andy Haldane, the Bank of England’s chief economist, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph newspaper in which he said the UK is on course for the worst unemployment rates since the 1980s.

Gerwyn Davies, a senior labor market adviser at CIPD, said: “Employees should brace themselves for pay freezes or even pay cuts in the year ahead to help preserve jobs.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday all people with COVID-19 symptoms who are older than 5 will now qualify to be tested for the virus in the UK, and a loss of taste or smell was added to the list of the main symptoms of a novel coronavirus infection, alongside persistent cough and fever.

People who have any of the main symptoms must self-isolate for seven days.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said at the daily news briefing that the country recorded an additional 160 COVID-19-related deaths on Monday, taking the total to 34,796.

Raab also said that the UK had recruited 21,000 contact tracers and call handlers who will help the government monitor outbreaks once the country further loosens its lockdown.