Lloyd's closes underwriting room for second time

Specialist insurance and reinsurance marketplace Lloyd's of London has once again closed the underwriting room following the UK Government’s decision to place England and the UK in a second national lockdown.

Lloyd's has taken the decision to close its iconic underwriting room for a second time with effect from January 5, 16:00 whilst adhering to the latest government guidelines.

"Whilst we will keep this decision under constant review, it is unlikely that the Room will reopen before mid-February," the corporation said in a statement.

"For the time being, the Lloyd’s building at One Lime Street will remain open for tenants," it added.

Lloyd's reopened its underwriting room from September 1 at a reduced capacity of 45 percent, with enhancements and safety measures in place, to facilitate face-to-face trading.

These measures included introducing a number of new policies and procedures, such as class of business weekly rota and mandatory face masks, to ensure safety and social distancing.

Face coverings are mandatory in all public areas of the building, including Lloyd’s reception, lift lobbies and lifts, bathrooms, the coffee shop and when walking around the underwriting room, with an exception of the Box or in meetings.

Only Lloyd’s passholders are permitted access to One Lime Street, and market participants must only enter if they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms.