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The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has changed the lives of people around the world in 2020.
Lockdowns and disruptions have hit hundreds of thousands of jobs in the UK, and the government has pumped billions into support programs. The health crisis soon goes hand in hand with an economic crisis.
Millions of people have turned to the BBC News website for up-to-date information as the pandemic unfolds.
Here, we take a look back at some of the biggest business stories in a year like no other.
January
In January, the coronavirus began to spread around the world after being detected in China. The UK was monitoring flights from China as a precaution, and there was a warning of an increased likelihood of cases in the UK. The virus was spreading to places like Italy and Iran.
But the pandemic had not yet taken hold in the UK, and the BBC Business’s biggest story for January involved US regulators saying Boeing “knowingly” installed faulty parts on 737 Max jets.
Other big stories included Disney cutting “Fox” from its 20th Century Fox brand, prompting suggestions that the US media giant was trying to distance itself from former owner Rupert Murdoch, who had backed the US president. Donald Trump.
Burger King has also said its plant-based burger is not suitable for vegans.
February
Covid-19 infections started to increase in the UK at the end of February, but with only 15 confirmed cases.
As such, Ikea announcing the closure of its Coventry city center store has been the most read story on BBC Business News this month.
A mother and daughter being told by Thai Airways staff that they were “too big” to sit in business class, and a major setback for Heathrow’s expansion plans has also drawn millions of readers.
March
Everything changed in March. By this point, the coronavirus had spread to all British countries.
Infections increased and people started cleaning shelves in some supermarkets as panic buying took hold. At the end of the month, the UK was stuck.
A BBC News article on panic shopping in supermarkets was the most read article this month.
The leave program was announced as part of efforts to support the UK economy. The government scheme, which pays up to 80% of the wages of workers on leave, has since been extended several times.
Global stocks also plunged into their worst day since the financial crisis as the dispute between Russia and Saudi Arabia saw oil prices fall, hitting stocks that were already reeling.
April
Demand for oil nearly dried up as lockdowns around the world kept people inside. This has led to oil producers paying buyers to dispose of the product amid concerns that storage capacity will run out in May.
The UK’s largest supermarket chain, Tesco, has warned it cannot meet online demand amid the pandemic, despite increasing its online shopping capacity by more than one fifth.
Although panic buying has subsided, Tesco said most food is still expected to be bought in stores due to pressure on its website.
And Burger King, KFC and Pret A Manger have said they will reopen some restaurants for take out after temporarily closing them during the first nationwide lockdown.
May
The leave program was extended for four months in May as the coronavirus pandemic continues to weigh on the economy.
At that time, a quarter of Britain’s workforce, or around 7.5 million people, was covered by the scheme, which cost £ 14 billion a month.
Information other than the coronavirus caught the attention of many, when Tesla boss Elon Musk slashed the value of the electric carmaker by $ 14 billion (£ 11 billion) after he tweeted that the its share price was too high.
But he was back at Covid for the third most read business story in May, after British airlines told the BBC the government would institute a 14-day quarantine period for travelers arriving in the UK from n Any country except the Republic of Ireland.
Since then, travel restrictions have increased and increased.
June
Following the drop in infection rates, the government relaxed some coronavirus restrictions in June as part of an effort to stimulate the economy.
In mid-June, shoppers returned to Main Street as some non-essential retailers reopened after the first lockdown.
At the end of June, it was announced that general restrictions on non-essential overseas travel were to be relaxed.
The third most read BBC Business article in June was a guide to which stores had reopened.
July
With infection rates falling, the government has announced new measures to help the UK economy get back on its feet.
These included the “Eat Out to Help Out” program, which offered diners a 50% discount on restaurant meals in August between Mondays and Wednesdays. Chancellor Rishi Sunak also announced a reduction in VAT for ailing hospitality and tourism industries.
Despite government support for the economy, High Street retailers were under pressure as the country entered a recession. John Lewis and Boots announced 5,300 job cuts after a dramatic reduction in visitor numbers.
An article on the reopening of pubs, cafes and restaurants was also well read.
August
It was officially announced in August that the lockdown had pushed the UK into recession for the first time in 11 years between April and June.
Earlier this month, Bank of England boss Andrew Bailey backed the government’s plan to end the holiday program in October, saying the government should help workers “get on” rather than stick around. unproductive jobs. The program was then extended.
And Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that there is “a very long way to go” for the UK economy. Between April and June, the number of people with jobs fell by 220,000, the National Statistics Office said.
September
Outgoing US President Donald Trump has consistently refused to release his tax returns, the first to do so since Richard Nixon in the 1970s.
So a story told by The New York Times that the billionaire paid only $ 750 (£ 580) in federal income tax at a time in 2016, the year he ran for president American, and in his first year in the White House, drew readers. Warning.
People were also very interested in a story that followed an update on what the government would do after the recess, which was due to end in October. The story said that additional financial aid would be announced the next day.
In fact, the government announced an emergency employment program that was less generous than the vacation program. However, he then changed tack again in November and extended the original leave schedule.
A bar curfew was put in place towards the end of September, meaning all pubs, bars and restaurants in England were to close by 10 p.m. each evening at the latest.
But Labor MP David Lammy warned the curfew has led people to “get out of the pubs” and “potentially spread the virus”.
October
U.S. retail giant Walmart announced in October an agreement to sell large British supermarket chain Asda to two billionaire brothers from Blackburn, Zuber and Mohsin Issa.
Walmart had decided to sell its majority stake in Asda following a failed £ 7.3 billion merger between the chain and Sainsbury’s.
The entertainment industry had been battered by the coronavirus lockdown, but theaters had been hoping for a new roster of major new titles to tempt people to return.
Thus, the delays of big budget releases like the James Bond film No Time To Die led the Cineworld cinema chain to temporarily close its British sites. The plan was to reopen in 2021.
On a lighter note, social media influencers were called in to ask for a free cake.
November
The government announced in early November that it would extend the holiday plan until the end of March and postpone its less generous replacement program. Furlough was then extended again until the end of April 2021.
Infections had risen rapidly in October, contributing to the change of mind among ministers. But opponents said Chancellor Rishi Sunak waited too long before announcing the extension.
Retailing has been one of the hardest hit sectors of the economy. By the end of November, Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia retail empire, which includes Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins, was on the verge of collapse. A few days later, he entered the administration, putting 13,000 jobs at risk.
December
Just as we all started hoping to put 2020 behind us, there was yet another bad news: a new variant of the coronavirus was spreading rapidly in the south-east of England. Not only did it pay for the Christmas plans of millions of people, but dozens of countries have banned arrivals into the UK. France closed its border with the UK for 48 hours, leading to warnings of “serious disruption” of cargo.
Meanwhile, philanthropic MacKenzie Scott has revealed that she has donated more than $ 4 billion (£ 3 billion) to food banks and emergency relief funds. The ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has said she wants to help Americans who are struggling with the pandemic.
And amid greater retail gloom, the latest efforts to save Debenhams have failed, meaning the department store is set to close with the loss of 12,000 jobs. The last remaining bidder for Debenhams, JD Sports, has pulled out, crushing hopes of a rescue.
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