Chancellor to give details of more support for business today
Boris Johnson urged businesses to look after their employees, denied that the London transport system was about to be shut down and claimed that the country could turn the tide on the coronavirus pandemic 鈥渨ithin the next 12 weeks鈥�.
The prime minister told businesses to 鈥渟tand by your employees, stand by your workers, because we will stand by you 鈥� and you will be hearing more about that in the coming days鈥�.
In his latest coronavirus press conference, he said that chancellor Rishi Sunak would provide more information tomorrow (Friday) on an improved support package for businesses that the government 鈥渨ill be putting into place across the country to support everybody through this difficult time鈥�.
He added: 鈥淲e have been talking to trade unions and others today and we think we will have a great package ready to go.鈥�
Asked whether the government was still considering a full lockdown in the capital, Johnson said: 鈥淲e may have to consider going further but there is no prospect of us stopping public transport in London.
鈥淭here has been a bit of misunderstanding floating around about that.鈥�
He said the government was 鈥渁bsolutely emphatic鈥� about the need for people to avoid gatherings where they can transmit the disease but he warned Londoners: 鈥淚f it becomes necessary to ensure that, then we certainly will do so.鈥�
Detected coronavirus cases in the UK stand at 2,626 tonight with 144 deaths, up 39 from yesterday, while Italy鈥檚 death toll from the outbreak has overtaken China鈥檚 with 427 more deaths reported today.
Johnson said that he was confident that through 鈥渞uthless, determined, collective action鈥�, the country could 鈥渟end the coronavirus packing鈥� by the summer.
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