Chancellor expected to set out fresh emergency package to help workers

Chancellor Rishi Sunak speaking at a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Credit: PA

The chancellor is expected to make another announcement over the coronavirus – this time with a fresh emergency package aimed at protecting workers.

Rishi Sunak has been under pressure from Labour, unions and even senior Tory MPs to do more to help workers and the stalling economy weather the crisis.

He will reveal new measures at the daily Covid-19 press conference in Downing Street, where he is expected to be joined by Boris Johnson.

Sunak’s £350 billion support package two days earlier was focused on businesses, with little help for staff facing the prospect of being laid off and unable to pay the bills.

The fresh measures could also aid in the fight to stymie the spread of the disease itself, with fears workers may not self-isolate with Covid-19 symptoms over fears of a financial blow.


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The PM said he is ‘absolutely confident that we can send coronavirus packing in this country’, and the tide can be turned within the next 12 weeks.

But he implied that this is only if the public heeds the social distancing guidance, saying: ‘I know it’s tough, I know it’s difficult… but please, please follow the advice.’

The crisis prompted US president Donald Trump to call off the June meeting of G7 leaders at Camp David, with leaders instead due to talk by videoconferencing.

Meanwhile, the Queen issued a message to the nation which said the UK is ‘entering a period of great concern and uncertainty’, adding that ‘our nation’s history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one’.

A glimmer of good news came from Mr Johnson, who said British experts expect to start trials for a vaccine against the virus within a month, although expectations are that a vaccine will take at least a year.

He also said a ‘game-changer’ antibody test was ‘coming down the track’ which could identify whether somebody somebody had become immune to the disease so they could return to their daily life.

The PM also pledged to massively increase testing to up to 250,000 a day, which combined with collective action and scientific progress he said would save ‘many, many thousands of lives’.