Coronavirus: PM orders pubs, restaurants and gyms to close across the UK
Written by News on 20/03/2020
Boris Johnson has ordered cafes, pubs, bars, restaurants and gyms to close from tonight in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The prime minister also said nightclubs, leisure centres and theatres should close their doors too, in an effort to reduce “unnecessary” social gatherings by 75% to have an impact on the infection rate.
During his daily news conference he acknowledged that people may be tempted to go out on Friday night but urged people to stay at home.
“Your sacrifice [by social distancing and self-isolation] means we are putting the country in a better and stronger position and we will be able to save thousands of lives,” said Mr Johnson.
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the government would step in to pay people’s wages, with grants that will cover 80% of the salaries of retained workers – up to £2,500 a month.
He urged businesses to look at government support before laying off workers.
Mr Sunak said: “Today I can announce that in the first time of our history, the government is going to step in and help pay people’s wages.
“We’re setting up a new coronavirus job retention scheme. Any employer in the country small or large, charitable or non-profit, will be eligible for the scheme.
“Government grants will cover 80% of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month – that’s just above the median income.”
He also said he would defer the next quarter of VAT payments for businesses until the end of June, in a £30bn injection into the economy.
Mr Sunak pledged £1bn for renters by boosting housing benefit and Universal Credit, and added that the welfare payments’ “generosity” would be increased to allow the local housing allowance to cover at least 30% of market rents.
“I’m increasing today the universal credit standard allowance for the next 12 months by £1,000 a year,” he said “For the
next 12 months, I’m increasing the working tax credit basic element by the same amount as well.
“Together the measures will benefit over four million of our most vulnerable households.”
It comes after the total number of people who have died in the UK after contracting COVID-19 rose to 177 after England saw 39 more deaths – the biggest rise in a day.
The UK also saw 714 confirmed cases of coronavirus diagnosed in a day, bringing its total number to 3,983.
Reacting to the latest financial measures, the shadow chancellor John McDonnell expressed his concern, saying they did not take into account other benefits like Jobseeker’s Allowance and Carer’s Allowance.
He also said he was concerned about how long it would take for the measures to be implemented.
“It looks as though it’s going to be weeks before it comes into action,” he told Sky News. “He [Mr Johnson] has shifted but I think he needs to go a lot farther and a lot faster.
“He’s said ‘whatever it takes’ – this isn’t whatever it takes, he hasn’t gone far enough and I’m worried about yet another delay in getting these benefits to people, getting the wages in people’s pockets.”
On the government paying 80% of retained workers’ wages if they can’t work due to coronavirus, Sky’s economics editor Ed Conway said: “I’m slightly dumbfounded. This is an enormous deal.
“We have never seen anything like this. The government is stepping in and paying people’s salaries. That is incredibly unusual. It’s extraordinary really.
“It shows how desperately concerned they are about the state of the economy.
“This is a nuclear button for the government to press because clearly they are panicking that people are firing staff at an unprecedented rate.
“It will be really expensive. It depends on how long is goes on for. It is a very big move.”
During Thursday’s press conference, Mr Johnson said the UK “can turn the tide” against coronavirus in the next 12 weeks – but subsequently admitted the government “don’t know how long” the crisis will last for.
He also revealed the government is in talks to buy “hundreds of thousands” of tests to reveal if people are immune.
Scientists have advised that social measures will need to be in place for most of a year in order to control the spread of the virus, which has infected nearly 250,000 people worldwide.
More than 10,000 people have died around the world after contracting the virus.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: PM orders pubs, restaurants and gyms to close across the UK
