Yesterday I said, I have ambition of this government to turn the tide against Caron of ours.

William.

Three months and I want to repeat that determination.

Today.

We're going to do it with testing.

We're gonna do it with new medicines and new digital technology that will help us to see the disease as it is transmitted Andi, thereby illuminating it to stamp it out on dhe a bubble.

Now we're going to defeat this disease with a huge national effort to slow the spread by reducing unnecessary social contact.

And I want to thank everybody for following the guidance we issued on Monday to stay at home for seven days.

If you think you have the symptoms for 14 days, if anyone in your household has either of the symptoms, a new continuous cough for high temperature to avoid pubs, bars, clubs on restaurants, toe work from home.

If it were possible, keep washing your hands on dining.

It's been tough on guy.

Nate has being inconvenient, but these actions that were all taking together are helping to take the strain off our N hs on bit by bit, day by day by your actions, your restraint on your sacrifice.

We're putting this country in a better and stronger position where we will be able to save literally thousands of lives of people of all ages, people who don't deserve to die Now people whose lives can must and will be saved.

Ondas we take these actions together news we make these sacrifices, we can see the impact on the real economy already fantastic British companies already under huge strength big and small workers who are finding that their jobs under threat.

We're going through no fault of their own and to all of them, we in government say we will stand by you and I say that to companies remember our joint objective to beat this virus on dhe, we will do everything in our power to help and in just a minute Rishi is going to explain how we're going to help workers of all kinds to get through this crisis, supporting you directly in a way that government has never done before.

In addition to the package that we've already set out for for business and of course, these measures are intended thes steps that we're taking our intended to be temporary.

And of course, I am confident that in time the U K economy is going to bounce back.

Of course it is.

But I must be absolutely clear with you.

The speed of our eventual recovery depends entirely on our ability, our collective ability to get on top of the virus now.

And that means we have to take the next steps on scientific advice on dhe.

Following our plan, we are strengthening the measures announced on Monday which you remember, and already people made a huge effort to comply with those measures for avoiding unnecessary social contact.

But we need now to push down further on that curve of transmission between us on dso following agreement between a ll the four nations of the United Kingdom, all the devolved administrations, we are collectively telling telling cafes, pubs, bars on dhe restaurants too close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not toe open tomorrow, they to be clear, they can continue to provide takeout service is We're also telling nightclubs, theaters, cinemas, gyms and letter centers to close on the same time scale Now these are places where people come together on dhe.

Indeed, the whole purpose in many cases of these businesses is to bring people together.

But the sad thing is, I'm afraid today for now, at least physically, we need to keep people apart.

And I want to stress that we will review the situation each month to see if we can relax any of these measures and listening to what I have just said.

Some people may, of course, be tempted to go out tonight, and I say to you, Please don't.

You may think that you're invincible, but there is no guarantee that you will get mild symptoms and you can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on to others.

So that's why a CZ faras possible.

We want you to stay at home.

That's how we can protect ar MHS and save lives.

I know to repeat, I know how difficult this is and how it seems to go against the freedom loving instincts of the of the British people.

And I also know I also know how much right now workers and business deserve the financial reassurance that we are giving.

But we will get through this.

We will get through it together and we will beat this virus on DDE to ram that point home the Maur effectively, we follow the butt.

The advice that we are given, the faster this country will stage both medical and economic recovery in four.

Thank you very much.

I gotta pass No.

Two to Rishi.

Who's going to explain some of the explain the financial support for workers.

Thank you, Prime Minister.

Good afternoon.

The economic intervention that I'm announcing today is unprecedented in the history of the British state.

Combined with our previous announcements on public service is and business support, our planned economic response will be one of the most comprehensive in the world.

Let me speak directly to people's concerns.

I know that people are worried about losing their jobs, about being not being able to pay the rent or mortgage about not having enough set by for food and bills.

I know that some people in the last few days have already lost their jobs.

Tual, Those at home right now anxious about the days ahead.

I say this you will not face this alone, but getting through this will require a collective national effort with a role for everyone to play people, businesses, government.

It's on all of us to meet our commitment to that effort.

I am today announcing a combination of measures unprecedented for a government of this nation.

Our plan for people's jobs and incomes will protect people's jobs, offer more generous support to those who are without employment, strengthen the safety net for those who work for themselves and help people stay in their homes.

The first part of our plan is to protect people's jobs.

This week the government has taken unprecedented steps to fight the Corona virus.

We have closed schools.

We have told people to stay at home to prevent the spread of infection.

We are now closing shops, restaurants, bars.

Those steps are necessary to save lives.

But we don't do this lightly.

We know these measures will have a significant economic impact.

I have a responsibility to make sure that we protect as far as possible people's jobs and incomes.

Today I can announce it for the first time in our history, the government is going to step in and help to pay people's wages.

We're setting up a new Corona virus job retention scheme.

Any employer in the country, small or large, charitable or non profit will be eligible for this game.

Employers will be able to contact HMRC for a grant to cover most of the wages of people who are not working but are furloughed and kept on payroll rather than being laid off.

Government grants will cover 80% of the salary of retained workers, up to a total of £2500 a month.

That's just above the median income.

And of course, employers can top up salaries further if they choose to.

That means workers in any part of the UK can retain their job even if their employer cannot afford to pay them and be paid at least 80% of their salary.

The current of iris job retention scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to march the first and will be open initially for at least three months, and I will extend the scheme for longer if necessary.

I am placing no limit on the amount of funding available for the scheme.

We will pay grant to support as many jobs as necessary and could I put on record my thanks to the Trades Union Congress, the C B I and other business groups for our constructive conversations.

We said we would stand together with the British people and we meant it.

We have never had a scheme in our country like this before, and we're having to build our systems from scratch.

I can assure you that HMRC are working night and day to get the scheme up and running, and we expect the first grants to be paid within weeks and we're aiming to get it done before the end of April.

But I know that many businesses are hurting now.

I've already taken extraordinary measures to make cash available to businesses through loans, grants and guarantees.

I can announce today that the Corona Virus Business interruption loan scheme will not be interest free as previously planned for six months.

It will now be interest free for 12 months.

And thanks to the enormous efforts of our critical financial service is sector.

Those loans will now be available starting on Monday and I will announce further measures next week.

On top of those, the governor and I have already taken to ensure that larger and medium sized businesses can also access the credit they need.

I'm also announcing today further cash flow support through the cash tax system to help businesses pay people and keep them in work.

I'm deferring the next quarter of E 80 payments.

That means no business will pay n a V a t from now until the end of June, and you'll have until the end of the financial year to repay those bills.

That is, a direct injection of over £30 billion off cash to business is equivalent to one and 1/2 percent of GDP.

Let me speak directly to businesses.

I know it's incredibly difficult out there.

We in government are doing everything we can to support you.

We're paying people's wages up to 80% so someone could be furloughed rather than laid off to protect their jobs.

We're deferring over £30 billion of taxes until the end of the financial year.

We're lending unlimited sums of money interest free for 12 months.

We're abolishing business rates altogether this year.

If you're in hospitality, retail and leisure, we're providing cash grants of £25,000 for small business properties.

The government is doing its best to stand behind you, and I am asking you to do your best to stand behind our workers.

We're launching in the coming days a major national advertising campaign to communicate the available business support for businesses and people.

Please look very carefully at that support before making any decisions to lay people off.

It's on all of us.

We are starting a great national effort to protect jobs.

But the truth is we are already seeing job losses and there may be more to come.

I cannot promise you that no one will face hardship in the weeks ahead, so we will also act to protect you if the worst happens to strengthen the safety net, I'm increasing today the universal credit standard allowance for the next 12 months by £1000 a year for the next 12 months, I'm increasing the working tax credit basic element by the same amount as well.

Together, these measures will benefit over four million of our most vulnerable households.

I'm strengthening the safety net for self employed people too, by suspending the minimum income floor for everyone affected by the economic impact of Corona virus.

That means self employed people can now access in full universal credit at a rate equivalent to statutory sick pay for employees.

Taken together, I'm announcing nearly £7 billion of extra support through the welfare system to strengthen the safety net and protect people's incomes and to support the self employed through the tax system.

I'm also announcing today that the next self assessment payments will be deferred to January 2021 as well as keeping people in work and supporting those who lose their jobs or work for themselves.

Our plan for jobs and incomes will help keep a roof over your head.

We've acted already to make sure homeowners could get a three month mortgage holiday if they need it.

I'm announcing today nearly £1 billion of support for renters by increasing the generosity of housing benefit and universal credit so that the local housing allowance will cover at least 30% of market rents in your area.

The actions I have taken today represent an unprecedented economic intervention to support the jobs and incomes of the British people, a new comprehensive job retention scheme on a significantly strengthen safety net unprecedented measures for unprecedented times.

Let me close with one final observation.

Now, more than any time in our history, we will be judged by our capacity for compassion.

Our ability to come through this won't just be down to what government or businesses do, but by the individual acts of kindness that we show each other the small business, who does everything they can not to lay off their staff.

The student who does a shop for their elderly neighbor, the retired nurse who volunteers to cover some shifts in their local hospital.

When this is over and it will be over, we want to look back on this moment and remember the many small acts of kindness done by us and to us.

We want to look back on this time and remember how we thought first of others and acted with decency.

We want to look back on this time and remember how, in the face of a generation defining moment, we undertook a collective national effort and we stood together.

It's on all of us.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Richard Jeni is anything you want to say this stage.

Okay, well, perhaps you could help us feel that any questions from the scientific and medical point of view as they come.

Can I go first to Alex for site from the BBC.

Thank you very much.

The measures you've announced today will have a significant impact.

Not just on business, of course, but on people's lives.

Can you tell us what has changed That's made you introduce these measures Now, How long?

If you can do you see these measures lasting and how do you plan to enforce them on Chancellor?

If I may, you talk about unprecedented measures that you're taking.

How can you be sure that the tax on welfare system can cope To ensure that this support goes to those people who need it?

Need it quickly.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Well, Alex, what we're doing today is really enforcing what we set out in the fourth part of our advice on Monday.

I think people made a huge effort in the last 45 days toe to comply.

We saw big reductions in people attending some pubs, lot of pubs across the country.

A lot of effort was made by people toe to reduce unnecessary social contact, as we said, but it was becoming clear that in order to drive that curve down ter to reduce the unnecessary social gatherings by by 75% which is what the the science tells us we need to do to have an impact on that cup.

That curve then we need now to be making absolutely clear that we're going to enforce these closures.

And so that's the the the pubs, bars, clubs and so on that I that I mentioned in addition to Jim's leisure centres on song.

Now how are we going to enforce it?

Well, clearly their licensing arrangements that will make it, I think, relatively simple to do Should that really be necessary?

I think in reality and you know we would enforce it strictly.

But in reality, I think everybody can see the imperative off doing what is necessary off protecting ar MHS and saving lives.

Richie, Alex, you're absolutely to write.

Asked right to ask the question.

I think when I was here earlier, I said It's very well.