ON the day when Prime Minister Boris Johnson came back to work following his recovery from coronavirus, there have been several important annoucements from Government.
The first was more a word of caution from the Prime Minister himself: the lockdown cannot be lifted too quickly, he said, as the UK is still at the point of maximum risk of a resurgence in cases.
Other news from Government ministers today included:
The restoration of ’normal’ urgent NHS services such as cancer treatment and mental health care will begin tomorrow.
The families of NHS staff and care workers who have died from coronavirus will receive £60,000 in a new life assurance scheme. In the UK, 82 NHS staff and 16 care workers have died as a result of Covid-19.
A new ’bounce back’ scheme for businesses is being introduced. From next week, small firms will be able to apply online for 100% taxpayer-backed loans.
Within days of applying, said Chancellor Rishi Sunak, small businesses will be able to access loans of up to £50,000. No capital or interest repayments will be due for one year, and the government will pay the interest for the first 12 months.