The Chief Scientific Adviser briefs businesses on the UK government’s coronavirus pandemic strategy.
17 Mar 2020, 4 min read
Coronavirus is having a growing impact on all aspects of life in the UK.
To help businesses prepare their contingency plans, the CBI hosted a conference call with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Permanent Secretary, Alex Chisholm, and the UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.
During the conference, businesses were briefed on the government’s response to date and the steps firms can take to protect their employees, their supply chain, and the operations in the months ahead.
Key takeaways for business: what is the UK government doing?
- Centring its approach on scientific advice and guidance
- Actively keeping the response under review and prioritising measures of greatest impact and least disruption so far
- Conducting daily COBRA meetings to reassess its approach and determine any additional interventions that might be required
- Expecting the coronavirus outbreak to reach its peak in the next three to four weeks, but its impact is likely to be significant for a
Exclusive member-only content 
