The UK coronavirus hospital deaths total rose by 449 to 16,509
A total of 386,044 people have been tested, of whom 124,743 have tested positive.
501,379 tests have concluded, with 19,316 tests carried out on 19 April.
In the Daily Press Conference, the Chsncellor Rishi Sunak said that more than 140,000 firms have today applied for help from the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme which began today
“Times like this demand that the state turns to its most immediate purpose: the protection and support of its people”
He also added that he did not favour moving from a system where the government backs 80% of coronavirus loans to businesses to one where it backs 100% of those loans
Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser Angela McLean noted that the number of U.K. cases was “pretty much stable and flat” while hospital admissions across the country “also remains stable.”
But Sunak insisted the current evidence did not warrant discussion about easing the lockdown. He said the most important rule was “that we can’t have the risk of a second peak. That would not only be bad for health outcomes, it would also be bad for the economy.”
The former Chancellor Philip Hammond warned Britain could be sleepwalking into an economic disaster.
He said “it almost feels as if the public has been anesthetized against the economic consequences of the government interventions.” He urged ministers to help business prepare for the transition out of lockdown. “It is vital that business is ready for the green light when the government is decided to signal it,” he said.
