It took a while, but the Brits have finally decided to lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over a week after Ireland decided to shut-down, British Taoiseach Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced today that from midnight tonight, all gyms, cafes, bars, clubs, restaurants, and cinemas are urged to close.
Due to the impact on the economy, Chancellor Sunak announced a 'Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme', which employers can apply for. This scheme will allow employers to cover up to 80% of their employees monthly wage if they are unable to work due to the coronavirus pandemic. These grants will cover wages backdated to March 1.
Boris Johnson said that these measures have been put in place in order to avoid a repeat of the 2008 economic crisis. Johnson says that the scheme is there to 'put the people first'.
167 people in England have already died at the hands of Covid-19. Also, 65,000 retired NHS workers in England and Wales have been urged to return to work in order to fight the pandemic.
Johnson has said that these radical actions will be reviewed each month.
Yesterday, plans were made to close all schools in the UK.
Following this news, the island of Ireland has issued a complete lockdown of educational institutions and social locations.
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