Since the start of the global Coronavirus pandemic, the impact on UK businesses has been profound – we have never faced such a serious health threat affecting everyone. The pandemic has developed at different speeds and timescales across the world, but cases are still accelerating in some countries, and in others there are signs of a second wave.
Many UK businesses have been seriously affected, not just by closure of operations and people in lockdown at home but by the human toll of the pandemic. It has been confirmed that the UK is now in a recession caused by COVID-19, although thankfully the construction sector has performed much better than many others.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that in England alone there have been some 8,000 reported cases of COVID-19 in workers linked to occupational exposure and more than 100 work-related deaths from the Coronavirus since reporting began.
- From 10th April to 11th July 2020, 7,971 cases of COVID-19 in workers where occupational exposure was suspected were reported to enforcing authorities (the HSE and councils) over the period.
- 119 deaths were reported – 48 in the health sector and 46 in residential care – with the remainder in other industries.
As at early August 2020, there have been over 300,000 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in the UK, according to official figures, and in excess of 40,000 deaths. Thankfully in CEMEX UK we have had just two confirmed positive cases of COVID, both of which were non-work related, which is testament to the safe behaviours and controls adopted by everyone…thank you for continuing to Look After Yourselves and Each Other.