Cafes, clubs, restaurants, gyms to close tonight – Scheme launched for UK Gov to subsidise 80% of wages

UPDATE: First Minister Mark Drakeford said, “…We now need everyone to do what most people are doing already because otherwise, we will not slow the disease at the rate that we must.

“Health is a devolved responsibility, and as Welsh Ministers, we will tonight exercise our powers under the 1984 Public Health Act in order to close restaurants, pubs, bars and other facilities where people gather. This also includes leisure centres, gyms, cinemas, theatres and betting shops. I will sign the necessary regulations later tonight, and they will come into force immediately.

“We do not take this move lightly, and we know this will be immensely difficult for those employed in the industries affected. But this is the right thing to do. We are tackling this virus in a controlled and determined way to protect and care for the most vulnerable people in our society.

“Together we can make that difference.”

UPDATE: If you missed the historic announcements live there are now transcripts that are worth reading in full – PM Johnson’s is here https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-20-march-2020 and Chancellor Sunak’s is here https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-chancellor-rishi-sunak-provides-an-updated-statement-on-coronavirus .

Original information is below…

PM Johnson and the Chancellor Rishi Sunak have announced a range of measures to fight the coronavirus outbreak, and support the public.

The full details are emerging through today’s live press conference from London.

Nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres have been asked to close “as soon as they reasonably can” tonight. Takeouts from restaurants will be allowed , but they will also close.

The aim being to keep people apart, with the request people do stay at home.

That situation will be reviewed monthly.

UK Government have launched a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, that will be backdated, where up to 80% of a cap of £2500pm wage will be covered by the UK Government with the aim to protect jobs that would otherwise be cut or furloughed described as ‘retained but not working’. Chancellor went on to say it is a brand new system but expect it to be running inside weeks. The next VAT quarter has also been deferred.

The Universal Credit standard allowance is to be raised by £1000 for next 12 months.

He said the self-employed will get full Universal Credit at a rate equivalent to statutory sick pay, and a further £1bn to cover 30% of house rental costs.

PM Johnson said that the measures had been agreed by all devolved governments of the UK.

The detail is still emerging, and will be communicated further in the coming days.

The UK Government asked everyone to ‘cut right down’ on social interaction.

The ‘gradient’ of the outbreak, “if we do not get this right we will see thousands of lives lost needlessly” however there is ‘still a window of opportunity’ and people need to avoid social contact, ‘we need to stop the velocity’ of the transmission.

PM Johnson reiterated that ‘people should shop reasonably’ and there are ‘fantastic supply chains’, with supermarkets ‘confident’ on supplies.

PM Johnson says to those who go against advice & experts, “You are not only putting your own life at risk, you are endangering the community” and hindering the NHS.

England’s Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries said “We aren’t saying don’t go outside. We’re saying go outside but in way that reduces your social contact. We very much we want children to be exercising, but not to do so in groups.”

PM Johnson reiterated that youngsters ‘could become vectors for the disease’ and affect older people as a result.